American Idol was in Hawaii this week and we got to watch the top 40 contestants perform at Disney’s Aulani resort.
This clip features 26-year-old Dillon James, who said the Bob Dylan song he chose to perform was “more relevant now than ever before.” Check out the full performance below.
Dillon James Performs On ‘American Idol’ In Hawaii
Dillon performed “The Times They Are A Changin'” by Bob Dylan. “Right now, together, we’re here, and we’re one, right now in this moment in paradise,” he told the crowd. “There’s a lot of things we can’t change, but there’s a lot of things we can.”
RELATED: ‘THE VOICE’ VS. ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ RATINGS WAR BEGINS – WHO WON THE FIRST ROUND?
He went on to perform the song while playing his guitar. While he was singing, judge Katy Perry commented, “He looks like a star.” Dillon’s parents watched proudly from the audience.
“I wish he would lean into the emotional part of his voice a little bit more,” Katy said after the performance. Meanwhile, the YouTube commenters seemed very impressed, with one comparing him to James Bay and others predicting he’ll be successful even if he doesn’t win the show.
Who Is ‘Idol’ Contestant Dillon James?
During his audition on Season 18 of American Idol, Dillon shared his struggle with drugs and alcohol. At one point, he was homeless and sleeping on a parking structure. His family helped him through, and he’s now two years sober.
RELATED: ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ STOPS PRODUCTION AMID CORONAVIRUS CHAOS
In Hollywood Week’s genre challenge, Dillon impressed the judges with an acoustic version of Billy Joel’s “Vienna.” Then in the solo round, he performed an original song and said he was “turning into who I think I’m supposed to be.”
We look forward to seeing how Dillon fared during the Hawaii round, as well as all the other performances this Sunday night on ABC.
