‘American Idol’ Season 21 Episode 7 Recap: Hollywood Week Begins With a Dropout
Hollywood Week 2023 has finally begun. During American Idol Season 21 Episode 7, several finalists from past seasons returned to mentor the contestants in three different areas: stage presence, confidence, and songwriting. The pressure was on as everyone pushed themselves to their limits, leading one singer to consider dropping out of the competition. Meanwhile, others blew Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry away with how much they’ve improved. Here’s who made it through to the next round.
Nutsa gave the judges chills with her cover of ‘I Surrender’
Nutsa, who traveled from Georgia (the country, not the state) to be on American Idol, had a little too much stage presence when she auditioned in Las Vegas. So, she worked with season 1 runner-up Justin Guarini to tone it down a little and channel her energy elsewhere in her performance. Justin encouraged her to sing the song while standing still, rather than putting on a big show by moving around.
Nutsa took Justin’s advice on stage, which allowed the judges to focus on her huge vocals in a cover of Celine Dion’s “I Surrender.” She still used some hand motions, but it was far less distracting than it could’ve been. Katy, Luke, Lionel, and the other contestants were blown away by what they heard. Katy said this season has “crazy talent,” while Luke said the performance gave him chills.
Sara Beth dropped out of the competition
Sara Beth worked on confidence with season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, and he basically advised her to fake it ’til she made it. She sang “Roxanne” by The Police, showing off a rasp in her voice. After her performance, Sara told the judges it would be her last performance because she was going home to her three kids. She admitted to struggling with the long distance, but the judges were shocked to hear about her decision.
Luke said Sara Beth’s decision was a mistake. The judges brought her back to the stage to see what was up. Katy told her she could lose out on her full potential if she left and encouraged her to stay. Sara Beth admitted to feeling like she wasn’t “cut out for show business.” Despite the judges urging her to stay, she still decided to head home.
We Ani had the judges singing along to her original tune on ‘American Idol’ Season 21 Episode 7
We Ani surprised the judges with her squeaky speaking voice in her auditon compared to her deeper singing voice. She decided to work on stage presence in Hollywood Week, and she surprised the judges once again with an original song. We Ani encouraged the audience to sing along, creating a great moment of engagement. She earned a standing ovation, and everyone was still singing along after she left the room.
Haven Madison brought the audience to tears with her original song
Haven Madison worked with season 11 winner Phillip Phillips on an original song called “Still Need You.” She wrote it about her brother, who was battling severe depression. Phillip had hardly any notes, telling Haven to just be herself on stage. Her emotional connection to the tune was clear as she sang the gorgeous piano ballad, and she brought many of her fellow contestants to tears. The judges called Haven a “massive star.”
Fire Wilmore battled nerves to sing for the judges
Fire Wilmore got to Hollywood after her second-chance audition. Still, she couldn’t believe she made it. Fire worked on confidence with Clay, and she became emotional as she admitted to having insecurities. She said it felt like the world was against her. Clay reminded her that the difficult part of her life was behind her.
Luke recognized that Fire wasn’t comfortable right away. She sang “You Say” by another Idol alum, Lauren Daigle, and Katy was impressed with her power.
The ‘show is over’ after Lucy Love’s performance
Lucy Love also struggled with being away from her kids, but she knew she had to work hard in Hollywood. She worked with season 6 winner Jordin Sparks on stage presence. The mentor encouraged Lucy to channel her emotion, and Lucy opened up about her marriage ending. Jordin told her to use that pain in her performance.
Lucy sang “To Make You Feel My Love,” and Luke and Lionel said they loved her style. The judges had to get up and move around with excitement at her incredible vocals. Katy called it “spectacular” and said the show was over — could anyone top Lucy’s performance?
Iam Tongi earned a standing ovation from his peers
Iam’s audition for American Idol went viral, so many fans were excited to see his next performance. He wanted to work on confidence. Iam spoke about his late father, who encouraged him to pursue music, noting that he knew his dad would be proud of him.
He sang Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” promising to think of his father as he sang. The judges were immediately mesmerized by Iam’s talent, with Luke calling him “perfect.” Everyone in the room stood for Iam after his performance as Luke said he was “the real deal.”
Other performances in ‘American Idol’ Season 21 Episode 7: Confidence
Colin Stough picked confidence to work on because he’s new to performing in front of an audience. He sang “Stone” by Whiskey Myers, and though he had a great country twang, he needed to work on enunciation.
Marybeth Byrd sang Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” after working on her confidence. She said she felt “in the moment” with the song, and Katy loved it.
Zachariah Smith also focused on confidence with Foreigner’s “Cold as Ice.” Clay pushed him to bring out his fullest voice. The work paid off, as Zachariah engaged with the audience and smiled through his performance on the big stage. The judges loved every second, with Katy telling him to “work it.”
Paige Anne, 16, worked with David Archuleta after getting a surprise video call from him at her audition. He worked with the teen on her confidence, encouraging her to connect with her emotion.
After receiving a “Broadway exorcism” in her audition, Emma Busse hoped Katy would see how much she’s changed her musical style. She sang “My Mind” by Yebba, trying to steer away from her theater vibrato. The confidence work paid off, as Katy put Emma through to the next round.
Megan Danielle wanted to work on confidence in the hopes of convincing herself that she was good enough to be there. She sang “Up to the Mountain,” earning applause halfway through as she belted powerful notes. Megan had to stop for a moment because her emotions took over, but she earned a standing ovation.
Kya Monee chose to show off her confidence with a powerhouse song: “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” She wowed the room with her powerful runs, earning a standing ovation.
Other performances in season 21 episode 7: Songwriting
Hannah Nicolaisen was the first to work with season 16’s Catie Turner on songwriting. She admitted to not having much experience, but she wanted to share a song that she wrote. Catie encouraged her to “go on her own terms” as she sang for the judges. Her slow vocals captivated the audience.
Oliver Steele decided to work on songwriting with Phillip, although he sang a Chris Stapleton song for the judges instead of an original. Katy, Luke, and Lionel gave him a standing ovation.
Other performances in season 21 episode 7: Stage presence
Matt Wilson admitted he was feeling homesick, but he had to keep going for his family. He sang New Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain,” working with Jordin on his stage presence. She encouraged Matt to think about his “boo” on stage. Lionel couldn’t believe his ears as Matt showed off his soulful sound.
Olivia Soli, Malik Heard, and Kaeyra left the platinum ticket winners feeling intimidated as they wowed the judges in a rapid-fire look at their performances.
Mariah Faith got the chance to open for Noah Thompson and HunterGirl after her auditon. Still, she wanted to work on her stage presence more. Mariah channeled her emotion as she sang “I Hope You’re Happy Now” for the judges.
Trey Louis, a school shooting survivor, had plenty of personality in his audition. However, he wanted to work on his stage presence as he chased his singing dream. He sang “Vienna” by Billy Joel, using hand motions to engage with the audience. After his performance, Trey said he felt like a “superstar.”
Tomorrow night: The Duets Challenge. And everyone is picking their own partner. Yikes…
New episodes of American Idol air on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
