‘American Idol 21’ episode 8 recap: Who survived the Duets round of ‘Hollywood Week’? [LIVE BLOG]

Denton Davidson
·9 min read
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“American Idol,” the iconic series that revolutionized the television landscape by pioneering the music competition genre, is back for another season on ABC. Helping determine who America will ultimately vote for to become the next singing sensation are music industry forces and superstar judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Emmy Award winner Ryan Seacrest hosts the reality TV competition series for the show’s sixth season on ABC and 21st overall.

Tonight is “Hollywood Week Part #2), as fan-favorite “American Idol” alumni return as contestant mentors to build confidence, stage presence and songwriting as they prepare for amazing performances on the iconic Hollywood Week stage. Read our full recap of Season 21 Episode 8, airing April 3, below.

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SEE ‘American Idol’: Luke Bryan ‘can’t hardly breathe’ after Cam Amen sings ‘Hallelujah’ in Platinum Ticket audition [WATCH]

Returning to help this season’s crop of contestants navigate Hollywood Week are Clay Aiken (Season 2 runner-up), David Archuleta (Season 7 runner-up), Justin Guarini (Season 1 runner-up), Phillip Phillips (Season 11 winner), Jordin Sparks (Season 6 winner) and Catie Turner (Season 16 Top 7).

SEE Everything to know about ‘American Idol’ Season 21: Premiere date, judges and host

8:00 p.m. — Previously on “American Idol”! Hollywood Week began with some of America’s most talented undiscovered artists taking the stage for the solo round. The rules were revamped from previous years: Rather than choosing a genre for themselves, they choose one area they want to improve upon — confidence, songwriting or stage presence. Watching from above were the three Platinum Ticket holders (Tyson Venegas, Kaylin Hedges and Cam Amen) who won the advantage of skipping this round and going straight to Duets. Voted in at the American Music Awards as America’s fourth Platinum Ticket winner was Elijah McCrormick. Tonight, we see the grueling Duets round, where personalities will either blend or clash as these hopefuls sing for their lives.

8:07 p.m. — The Platinum Ticket holders get first pick for their duet partner (and can even choose each other). Elijah chose Lucy Love because of her infectious energy. He hopes her stage presence will help bring him out of his shell. They’re singing “My Girl” and harmonize together like they’ve been doing it their whole lives. It’s a great start to this round and Katy says, “I’ve never heard ‘My Girl’ like that.'” The judges have nothing to debate. Elijah and Lucy are both going to the next round.

8:20 p.m. — The next duo is a little less harmonious. Carina DeAngelo and Nutsa came together to sing, but have completely different work ethics. While Carina is ready to pull an all-nighter, Nutsa goes to bed and is adamant rest is more important. I feel like this happens to at least one duo every year. Carina sounded off to the judges about her frustrations, who just want to hear them sing at this point. The sing “I Put a Spell on You” and Lionel can feel the tension. Katy calls it “underwhelming.” Lionel tells Carina that this is the end of the road for her, but they’re allowing Nutsa to move forward. Carina is clearly unhappy, but I think Nutsa genuinely feels bad about the situation. Katy warns Nutsa to have “more grace” as she continues.

8:30 p.m. — Next up are Elise Kristine and Matt Wilson singing “You are the Reason.” They have different singing styles, but blend them beautifully, sharing powerhouse vocals and harmonies throughout. They get a standing ovation from the judges and Luke says Matt is one of his favorite vocalists he’s heard. Both of these two will move to the next round.

8:45 p.m. — Hannah Nicolaisen and Warren Peay sing “It’s Your Love” for their duet, honing in on the intimacy even though they just met. The judges are clearly in love with the blending of these two, nodding and smiling at each other throughout. Luke calls it “a great moment” and both are advanced to the next round. Then it’s time for Zachariah Smith and Isaac Brown to sing “I’m Still Standing.” Rehearsals proved brutal for these two, who were up past 3:00 a.m. rehearsing and still didn’t know the lines the next morning. Zachariah is in tears over his frustrations, but the two never blame each other for anything. The lyrics are just difficult for both of them to pin down. They actually take their phones on stage with them for the performance and Katy screams, “STOP! You got a call to make?” When Isaac admits he needs his phone to help with the lyrics, Lionel responds, “We’re gonna have a problem.” After putting their phones away, Zachariah and Isaac just go for it and completely make up all the lyrics while dancing around and having a good time. I think it’s totally ridiculous, but the judges look to be enjoying it. I would have given both the axe, but the judges push them both through to the next round.

9:00 p.m. — The next Platinum Ticket holder to pick his partner was 16-year old Tyler. He chooses fellow Platinum Ticket holder Kaylin! They sing “Don’t Stop Me Now” and live up to the hype, almost instantly giving the judges goosebumps. Lionel calls it “full-on amazing” and these two easily move forward. Luke says Tyler may be the biggest star they’ve ever encountered.

9:15 p.m. — The next pair have developed a bit of a bromance and have matching tattoos from their auditions in New Orleans. Jon Wayne Hatfield and Preston Duffee are singing “Buy Dirt,” which adds a bit more pressure since it’s Luke’s song. It’s all a bit too laid back and they really don’t understand how to harmonize. I thought it was pretty lackluster. The judges decide Preston will move forward, but Jon Wayne has been cut from the competition. The next pair both had standout auditions with tributes to their fathers: Iam Tongi and Oliver Steele. Prior to the performance, Iam’s guitar breaks, which makes him emotional because it’s the one his father had bought him when he was just a kid. He pulls himself together and the duo sings “Save Your Tears.” It’s a powerful rendition that earns them a standing ovation. Both Iam and Oliver advance to the next round.

9:25 p.m. — Adin Boyer had a total meltdown while seeking out his duet partner and had to take a break. He’s happy to share this moment as one of the darker sides of his disability. As everyone else paired up, Adin was left on his own, so a producer explained one group would have to become a trio. Jayna Elise and Summer Joy were happy to welcome him and the trio is now singing “I’m Still Standing.” The judges are thrilled with how this all came together and seem to especially enjoy the harmonies. Lionel warns Jayna and Adin that he needs more from them vocally, but all three will advance.

9:40 p.m. — Wé Ani and PJae have teamed up for duet of “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!).” It’s like being transported into a cabaret as they jazz this number up with various vocal inflections. They’re pushing the tempo a little too hard, but they definitely harmonize well and have good voices. Katy says, “We’ve never had more fun watching a duet” and “We should have been paying money to see that.” There are no questions here, Wé and PJae are going to the next round.

9:50 p.m. — The final Platinum Ticket holder to pick his partner was Cam. He chose J, much to the performer’s surprise. We didn’t see J’s audition, but we learn that they had a tough life and have dealt with homelessness, and Cam could relate to their struggles. Unfortunately, J packed up and left, leaving Cam stranded to sing on his own. Then, the next morning before the Duets performances were to take place, J returned and asked Cam to take them back. Cam gracefully obliged, but they were terribly unprepared. Together they are singing “Listen to the Music,” and Cam looks like he’s about to have a panic attack. It was a bit messy, but both got through it and sounded pretty good. Katy calls J a leader, even though he’s a total quitter and left Cam out to dry the entire night before. He’s heading to the next round. Then she tells Cam that he struggled, but he showed J so much compassion he will move on as well.

10:00 p.m. — The last duet of the night will be Kaya Stewart and Fire. They haven’t even heard each other sing, but beggars can’t be choosers at this point. The will sing “Whataya Want From Me” and their rehearsals started off great. Overnight, Kaya came down with a bug and woke up feeling ill. Rehearsals during the day were a struggle and Kaya struggled to learn the lyrics. Fire is devastated and is unsure of her future in the competition if Kaya backs out. When they take the stage, Kaya reveals that she’s not feeling well and won’t be performing, but thanks the judges for her experience. As she leaves in tears, Fire begins to cry to, telling the judges it’s been really stressful and she just had to learn a different arrangement to sing by herself. Katy looks out into the crowd and asks, “Who wants to sing ‘Whataya Want From Me?’ with Fire?” Up runs Jayna Elise, coming to the rescue for the second time tonight! During the performance Katy breaks down in tears. Afterwards she says, “I’m proud of you. You’re growing little by little. You can’t control a lot, but you can control yourself and you can control your future.” And Katy takes some control of her own and moves Fire to the next round. That concludes the Duets round. Next week will be two days of Showstopper performances and the Top 24 will be revealed.

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