The ‘American Idol’ Top 8 Will Sing Duets This Week — Here’s Who Should Pair Up
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The American Idol Top 8 will be busy this Sunday. As we reported earlier this week, the contestants will sing Queen songs after being mentored by Idol alum and Queen vocalist Adam Lambert. But those won’t be their only performances.
According to Entertainment Weekly, after the contestants perform their Queen covers and receive judges’ feedback, they’ll pair up to sing “classic movie duets.” After America’s vote, the Top 8 will become the Top 6.
It’s not clear what Idol considers a “classic movie duet.” Disney songs and Queen covers at least narrowed things down a bit, but drawing from the history of movie music leaves quite a few options. Will they be songs originally sung by two people? Songs from movie musicals? Songs from movie soundtracks?
We suppose we’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out. But just because we don’t know what the contestants will be singing doesn’t mean we can’t speculate about which artists will be paired up for the performances. Check out our suggestions (including a few song ideas) below.
Alejandro Aranda & Walker Burroughs
Alejandro and Walker both have a down-to-earth vibe about them that I think would mesh well in a duet. Maybe they could sing something stripped-down but up-tempo like “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel, from The Graduate. They could even wear matching jeans and sneakers!
Madison VanDenburg & Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon
Both Madison and Jeremiah have strong voices that were made for emotional ballads. If they teamed up to sing something like “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic, everyone in the audience and watching from home would probably be in tears.
Laine Hardy & Laci Kaye Booth
Laine and Laci both have raspy voices that toe the line between country and rock ‘n’ roll. They could put a fresh spin on a song like “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds, from The Breakfast Club. Or maybe an extra rockabilly version of “Footloose.”
Alyssa Raghu & Wade Cota
Alyssa was the hardest contestant for me to pair, but I think she and Wade could make something work. Wade’s distinctive rasp might work well with Alyssa’s deeper tones, especially on an edgier song. Maybe something like “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf, from Easy Rider.
