Sunday was Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night on American Idol, with the top 14 contestants performing Hall inductees' hits. Suffice to say, no one covered the Stooges, Rage Against the Machine, Talking Heads, the Sex Pistols, Nine Inch Nails, the Velvet Underground, Patti Smith, or newly announced Class of 2024 members MC5, instead sticking with safer fare. But Gene Simmons, of Hall of Famers KISS, did add some edge to the episode as this week's guest mentor.
Gene once inexplicably dissed one of American Idol's greatest rock stars, Adam Lambert, just days after Adam had epically performed with KISS on the Season 9 finale, so I initially doubted his qualifications to be an Idol mentor. But I must admit, Gene seemed genuinely invested. He didn't suggest that any of the contestants spackle their faces with clown-paint, spit blood, set the stage on fire, or fly above the audience on wires, but he was generous with his time and praise, and he brought decades of rock 'n' roll wisdom to the show. He also brought his trademark theatricality to the Idol stage, reclining on a jeweled throne that host Ryan Seacrest joked was from the "Gene Simmons Subtlety Chair Collection."
There were times when I actually wondered if Sunday's episode was Gene's unofficial Idol screen test, now that judge Katy Perry is leaving the show and KISS have retired and sold their catalog and copyright. Does Gene have secret (or not-so-secret) plans to pull his sparkly chair right up to the judges' desk, between Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, next season? The current judges could not stop raving about his mentoring skills this week, and at one point Katy even declared, "I think Gene should take my spot!" So, there you go. Watch this space.
Gene did his best with all 14 contestants, but two had to go home — and after Sunday's real-time, coast-to-coast vote, those two were Jordan Anthony and Nya, both of whom had been saved by the judges last week as wild cards. Gene especially seemed to be rooting for Nya, telling her, "I'm shocked that you had to fight to survive; that has nothing to do with your talent," and describing her cover of the Aretha Franklin version of "I Say a Little Prayer" as "floor-bendingly good." I think Nya might've had a better chance of surviving this week if she'd done the more subtle version by new Class of 2024 inductee Dionne Warwick, but regardless, she left the competition leaving no doubt that she can sang and deserved to make it this far. As for Jordan, he tried to do his own thing with Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," but he didn't take enough creative risks and ended up sounded like he was fronting a wedding band.
So, that left us with the contestants who'll be back Monday with guest mentor Meghan Trainor, for Billboard No. 1 Hits Night, when the top 12 become the top 10. But before that episode, let's look at the dozen performances by the Sunday semifinalists who attempted to rock and roll all nite and shout it out loud.
Triston Harper, "Heartbreak Hotel"
Gene told Triston to "be more physically you," explaining that a performance of such a "tall order" Elvis classic had to be about more than just vocals. Triston seemed awkward at first — that sort of Kingly swagger clearly didn't come naturally to him — but the end result was, for lack of a better word, cute. Lionel said Gene made the "right call" advising Triston to focus on movement and choreography, and Luke told Triston, "There is no way America cannot fall in love with you after that performance." Katy noted that "the people are already in love" with Triston, then quipped, "I thought you were a good Christian boy! ... You scared me, and you scared your mother." There was nothing scary about this, really, but it was endearing.
Julia Gagnon, "Run to You"
Julia and Gene shared a moment during rehearsal, with him even taking off his sunglasses as she tearily opened up to him about feeling unpretty and unlovable. Once he heard her sing this Whitney song, he literally yelled at her, "I'm stunned! You should be onstage at Madison Square Garden! You are a star!" He even made her yell it back to him. Julia seemed to get a confidence boost from Gene's mouthy pep talk, asserting, "I want to be glammed up. I want to lean into being pretty and actually believe it for once." She then took the stage looking virtually unrecognizable in a red column gown, strands of peals, a full face-beat, a huge smile, and what they call in the RuPaul's Drag Race world a glossy pussycat wig. "Talk about the butterfly leaving the cocoon! ... It was so inspiring to watch," Luke marveled, while Lionel told Julia, "You commanded that stage tonight. It was absolutely beautiful."
Roman Collins, "You're All I Need to Get By"
I am still appalled that Roman did not earn enough votes last week to make it to the top 14 and had to be saved as a judges' wild card. This gospel groover is so great, he even had Gene, the Demon himself, up out of this throne with his hands in the hair, testifying — something I never thought I would see. "Who taught you those runs? That's unbelievable," Gene gasped. (The obvious answer: Roman learned it all in church. Hallelujah.) The judges were just as wowed by Roman's Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell cover, with Katy calling him "a masterclass at Berklee" and "my favorite person to watch and hear right now." Lionel blatantly scolded America, "Y'all vote now. Vote!" I am glad America listened to him this week.
Kaibrienne, "I Hate Myself for Loving You"
KB usually does heart-on-sleeve ballads that literally end in tears, so this Joan Jett barnstormer was a surprisingly upbeat departure for her. But given her history of self-doubt and even self-loathing, she could still relate to Jett's lyrics, so the pick made sense. Gene wanted to "help her find the physicality of those words," and she took things to another level. "You're a rock star," Katy gasped. "That was a concert. In under a week you morphed into a whole other human being," said Luke. "That 'ugly face' you gave us was exactly what was needed in that song," Lionel declared. I wouldn't want this sort of performance from KB every week, but I don't want her crying her eyes out every week either, so this was a fun, crowd-rousing romp that showcased a new side of her personality.
Jayne Elise, "I Have Nothing"
Another Whitney song? Really? There are almost 400 Hall inductees to choose from, you know. Jayna had actually waffled between the Foo Fighters' "Best of You" and this Bodyguard ballad; Gene was "blown away" by both and just told her to follow her heart. I wish her heart had led to the Foos, which would have been a more daring and leftfield choice. (We never hear Foo Fighters songs on Idol; I wasn't even aware that the band ever cleared their songs for this show.) Plus, Jayna was great covering an alternative rock song by Paramore last week. But anyway, Jayna can sing anything, so of course she nailed this. Katy thought she made the right choice and said she exuded "BSE" (big star energy). Lionel told Jayna, "You look like a star, you act like a star, you sound like a star. My dear... you are a star!"
Mia Matthews, "Those Memories of You"
Mia took on two Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, when she trilled this Trio song. (Side note: Why isn't Emmylou Harris in the Hall too?) Gene advised her to "put more emotion in her face," but this midtempo song, unlike her previous performances of "Daddy's Hands" and "Wildflowers and Wild Horses," didn't really allow for much emoting. I felt this laid-back performance was a regression for Mia. But Lionel said she "came out shining like a new penny," and Luke raved, "Way to just stay true to who you are." I think Mia knows who she is, and that's a good thing, but she needs to show more layers and levels if she wants to keep growing in this competition.
Kayko, "High and Dry"
Finally, a Radiohead cover that wasn't "Creep"! This was actually singer-songwriter Kayko's first cover song of the season, but it sounded like he could have written Radiohead's The Bends ballad himself. It was a smart choice, and he stayed on-brand. Katy said the song was a "high, high bar," but told Kayko, "You did it such justice. ... I believe in you!" Luke told him, "Way to make the song yours." Thankfully, this was a risk that paid off. I believe in Kayko too.
Emmy Russell, "I Can't Make You Love Me"
Like Kayko, Emmy has done (mostly) originals all season, and Gene could tell she had "jitters" rehearsing this Bonnie Raitt tearjerker. He was afraid she'd "wilt like a flower that doesn't have enough water" onstage, but her confidence got a boost when he praised her actual voice. (Emmy has apparently always felt more secure about her songwriting than her singing.) I do feel this tune drew attention to Emmy's vocal limitations, and the jitters were still audibly there, but she emoted convincingly. Luke got "full-body chills" from her "very special" "realness and innocence." Katy told her, "You're not competing against any of those people. You're competing again yourself. And tonight, you won."
McKenna Faith Breinholt, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
Due to being under the weather earlier this week, McKenna didn't get to work with Gene one-on-one. And while she's such a pro that she probably didn't need his advice, it was obvious that she was still sick on Sunday: Her voice was shot, a husk of its already-husky usual self, and she had to back away from those Cetera power-notes. But she valiantly powered through like a trooper. Gene told her she had "innate talent... that's what a star is!" Luke praised McKenna for delivering "elegance and beauty" against all odds, and Lionel even said this raspy effort was "sexy-sounding." Even a sick McKenna performance is a sick one.
Jack Blocker, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
Bob Dylan was the perfect choice for Jack, this season's rough-around-the-edges, quirky, old-timey troubadour. Gene said Jack was "brave" to do one of Dylan's signature songs, but it ended up being the night's most original performance, the most magical and authentic moment. The judges and Gene even gave Jack a standing ovation. Lionel and Luke are never going to be able to live it down that they thought twice and almost let this guy go during the auditions. "You made a Bob Dylan song your song," Lionel gasped. "You're just so cool. No, I was wrong: You are the coolest," Katy told Jack.
Will Moseley, "Night Moves"
This was a brilliant song choice — a "feel song," as Gene called it — that suited Will's gruff heartland vibe perfectly. I got déjà vu to when eventual winner Phillip Phillips had a breakthrough moment covering another Bob Seger song in Season 11. "You know who you are as an artist," Luke assured Will. "You killed that," Lionel told him. I could see Will following in Phillip's rough-shod footsteps... all the way to this season's finale.
Abi Carter, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Abi was not allowed to listen to rock 'n' roll music growing up, so she was understandably intimidated during her one-on-one session with the scary Demon. But the two worked surprisingly wonderfully together. As usual, Gene doled out sage advice about connecting to the lyrics ("Do you even know what this song means?" he flat-out asked Abi), and Abi created more piano magic onstage this week. After her Platinum Ticket-earning Billie Eilish audition and My Chemical Romance tour de force last week, she is amassing a seriously impressive body of work this season, and developing a signature sound. Luke called praised this performance's "complexity" and called it "pro, pro, pro," and Katy boldly told her, "From day one, it's always been you."
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