American Idol Top 24 Recap: Watching the Best and Worst Duets [VIDEO]

The second half of american idolThe top 24 sang for viewers’ votes on Monday, taking the stage alongside some true music icons, from Jewel and Josh Groban to Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd. (Guys, remember the Incubus ?!)

Continue reading for our details of the evening’s presentations, with video for each one:

JASON WARRIOR, 25 | The weeknd’s first solo performance, The Weeknd’s “Call Out My Name”, may have started out smooth and quiet, but things took a very sudden and emotional turn. At the end of Warrior’s presentation, he was on his knees, apparently in tears. When he met with duet partner PJ Morton, he asked how he could take his music off the walls of the church. The solution, apparently, was to bring the church to Idol, resulting in a truly unexpected version of “How Deep Is Your Love” by Bee Gees. There’s no denying the Warrior’s natural talent (Lionel Richie even said, “It doesn’t get any better than that”), but sometimes I wonder if the Warrior needs to be so heavy with all performance. A little variation never hurt anyone. Click here to watch.

MADISON WATKINS, 26 | First, Watkins managed to change my (previously negative) opinion of Justin Bieber’s “Holy”, which is a feat in itself. It was a good choice for your solo, as it looked current and showed a little of its range. Tori Kelly was also an inspired choice as Watkins ‘duet partner for Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry’ Bout a Thing”, even though she suffers from Ryan Tedder syndrome. (We already know that Kelly can sing. She didn’t have to completely outshine her partner with these executions.) Luke Bryan called her a “natural artist”, while Richie praised her for reacting to what Kelly was doing, instead of focusing on herself. prepared part. Click here to watch.

BEANE, 23 | I feel like we’re really witnessing an artistic evolution with Beane, even though his borderline performance of Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” reminds me that, oh yes, he’s definitely a wedding singer. “Angels”, by Robbie Williams, which he then sang alongside Groban, was a A lot of best fit. He opened his mouth and beauty spilled out, complementing Groban’s voice perfectly. (I was not he hoped he would be able to defend himself against Groban, but he did it completely.) Extra points for Beane for exchanging “she” for “him” as an act of “defiance”. To see:

HANNAH EVERHART, 17 | I really like this young rising star, so it hurts me to say that his solo performance of Chris Stapleton’s “I Was Wrong” … was not the best. She was then introduced to Jason Aldean, with whom he shared some ribs before sharing the stage. The judges liked what she presented, for the most part, but encouraged her to believe more in herself. Frankly, I am disappointed that we never found out about the chicken she was supposed to send to Claudia Conway via FedEx “dead or alive”. What was it, Everhart ?! Click here to watch.

MARY JO YOUNG, 19 | Real conversation: I’m sick of listening to Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill,” so I appreciate that Young at least changed things up a bit to show his reach. And you don’t even understand me initiated in his duet with Jewel. I was already excited about “Foolish Games”, and that was before my ears were blessed enough to hear their voices together. The tight harmonies, the growls, the hat – all of that! I’m sure I passed out during that performance, and when I came to, I saw that I had just written “Yes! Yes! YES! “Again and again. It was This one Good. To see:

CHAYCE BECKHAM, 24 | Oh, another Sheeran song? You guys. Dont say. Beckham chose “Afterglow” for his solo performance this week and, while it was not incredible, it was definitely solid. As Bryan noticed, it looked like Bruce Springsteen’s version of the song. I’m not sure I would have paired him with Boyd for his duet, since his opposite voices fought in the mixing department, but it was still a good performance. And I will take any excuse to revisit “Drive”. Click here to watch.

COLIN JAMIESON, 22 | It’s easy to forget how loud Bruno Mars’ songs are, as he makes them sound effortless, but those notes are not easy. Still, Jamieson managed to end “Locked Out of Heaven” without breaking a sweat. (That said, I kind of wish he hadn’t bothered to pick up the guitar halfway, since it just took his incredible voice.) Then came his duet with Kelly, who apparently only joins other attractive hair heads. . . And while his collective play of hair was definitely strong, his vocals in “Hollow” were even stronger. This was one of the best duets of the night for me. To see:

LIAHONA OLAYAN, 17 | I felt that this rocket was radio ready and highly marketable from day one, and his solo performance of Audrey Mixa’s “Just Friends” only served to reinforce that belief. Joining Morton for a dramatic duet of “Say So” was a risky move for Olayan, who admitted he was afraid to show his vulnerability, but it was definitely worth it. She stood firm on stage with Morton, and the judges were right to celebrate how far she has come. Click here to watch.

AVA AUGUST, 15 | The irony of August presenting Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License” as her solo, when she herself was not yet old enough to drive a car by herself, did not go unnoticed. Nor is August’s incredible voice, which has a beautiful quality far beyond his age. Come on, if you can give Groban the chills, you know you have it. “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell was a inspired choice for a duet, and the end result was absolutely stunning, as if she were to sing. The judges compared her to Judy Garland, which I had not considered. However, I considered how stupid I was to not include August in our (extremely) list of the top ten predictions. I’m really kicking myself for it. To see:

CALEB KENNEDY, 16 | Do you remember how tough Bryan was with Alex Miller earlier this season, constantly trying to get him out of old school country in hopes of discovering a cooler sound? That’s how I feel about Kennedy, who delivered a good one – but not terribly exciting – cover of “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers Band. His duet, “Fly Over States” opposite Jason Aldean, was also a kind of nap. The judges clearly disagree with me, as they praised Kennedy for being “possessed by a very old and experienced country man”. This is really a Good thing for this competition? Click here to watch.

HUNTER METTS, 22 | When I first saw that Metts was taking over Sia’s “Chandelier”, my head tilted to the side like a puppy trying to understand human speech. But as soon as he started his simplified approach to omnipresence, I started getting into the subject. I found it a little sleepy, though, and realized that no judge stood up for it. Metts had a second chance, duetting with Jewel (who immediately made the comparison with Ryan Phillippe) in the timeless classic of the singer “Foolish Games”. She challenged him to deliver a great vocal moment, but it never fully manifested, resulting in a performance that really only featured Jewel’s voice – which sounds better than ever, by the way. I actually thought the judges were also good about this. Where’s Simon Cowell when you need him? Click here to watch.

CASEY BISHOP, 15 | Best solo of the night? Best soil of Both nights? Anyway, Bishop sang like Paramore’s “Decode” hell, and the producers knew exactly what they were doing when they decided to end the night with her. I wish she had been paired with Jewel for her duet, but Boyd was not a bad choice – nor was it “Wish You Were Here”, a song I haven’t thought of in at least a decade. This girl is Top 5 material, no doubt. To see:

Of the competitors who performed tonight, which eight (8) deserve a spot in the Top 16? Weigh in our poll below, so leave a comment with more of your thoughts.