'American Idol': '90s chart-topping group reunites, grieving teen makes judges emotional

USA Today

24-03-2025

'American Idol': '90s chart-topping group reunites, grieving teen makes judges emotional
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David Archuleta says Lady Gaga butt-dialed him at 3 a.m.
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Entertain This!
As we all know, "American Idol" has its contestants put their own spin on covers of famous songs. But this week, the standout auditions were arrangements we'd never heard before.
For every trendy audition song (think Teddy Swims' "Lose Control" and Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things"), a hopeful "Idol" delivered a moving song they'd written themselves, which more often than not evoked tears from Carrie Underwood.
Twenty-five-year-old Nina Daig sang an emotional tribute ("Average Joe") to her life-changing older brother; Drew Ryn gave Luke Bryan one of his favorite performances of the day with her whisper-singing on "Walk on Water;" car enthusiast Sam Sparks channeled his struggles from a life-changing car accident into a song called "Colorado Gray" that packed a punch; and Freddie McClendon channeled his emotions about his dad's murder into "You Never Loved Him."
Catch up on last week: Carrie Underwood regrets her vote, 2021 winner Chayce returns
The lack of a platinum ticket in this episode doesn't mean the auditions were a snooze. As with past episodes, a few (but not as many) music industry notables made appearances to give their kids a morale boost, or perhaps a leg up in the judges' eyes.
Plenty of performances perked our ears up this week, and these were the more memorable moments.
Freddie McClendon pours his grief into song a year after dad Davis McClendon's murder
South Carolina college student Freddie McClendon, 19, came to "Idol" to show the world that Davis McClendon "was something so much bigger than just the true-crime story of the week."
"He was our dad; he meant the world to us," Freddie told the judges about dad Davis, a marketing director at an assisted living facility and retirement community who was killed at age 46 in May 2023. Davis' girlfriend's estranged husband was reportedly sentenced to 45 years in jail in October for McClendon's murder.
Though he'd been songwriting since he was a high school freshman, it became more than a hobby after his dad's death; it was a way for him to voice his emotions. In "You Never Loved Him," Freddie grieves how his family "never got to tell him goodbye" and seems to allude to residual anger he feels about his untimely loss.
His voice was unique and imperfect − perfection wasn't the point. "You've got a really honest approach to this thing. It's like our little modern-day Paul Simon," Bryan said. After she wiped her tears away, Underwood told Freddie: "It's so brave of you to decide that you want to choose the narrative that you want to remember him (as) him. Not what happened, but him."
With his mom on one side and two weeping sisters on the other, the judges had no choice but to say "yes."
Carrie Underwood fangirls as Wilson Phillips reunites for a performance of 'Hold On'
Two weeks after Brian Littrell from the Backstreet Boys helped son Baylee through to Hollywood Week, we were due for another dose of nepotism.
The judges thought they would simply witness another father-daughter performance with 19-year-old college student Lola singing with her dad, Rob Bonfiglio, accompanying on guitar. But before they launched into their song, Lola brought in some backup: her mom, Carnie Wilson, and aunt Wendy Wilson. Which, yes, makes Lola one of Brian Wilson's grandchildren.
Lola, Carnie and Wendy first sang the 1990 chart-topper "Hold On" as Underwood mouthed along. But it was time for Lola to fly away from the nest, and she sang Kacey Musgraves' "Rainbow" as mom cried with pride and fanned her face from the sidelines.
Her performance was good enough to get her to the next round, but the judges sent her home with some homework to level up before she faces at least 100 other contestants in Hollywood Week. Lionel Richie challenged her to "tell us a story" with her voice, while Bryan warned Lola the competition will require her to belt out some songs and fill "up the room a little more."
"But you've got a beautiful voice," he complimented.
A Benson Boone cover nearly blew Lionel Richie's hair away
If anything, 26-year-old music teacher Desmond Roberts deserves praise for his 120-mile commute from his home in Corona, southeast of Los Angeles, to the School of Rock where he teaches. Well, there's also his rendition of "Beautiful Things" which Richie claimed blew his hair away.
Desmond took to the piano for the TikTok-famous ballad, and as he belted out the catchy chorus, it came across as more effortful than Benson Boone's powerhouse performance. But he sprinkled in a few new notes here and there, and the judges were blown away — almost literally.
"You invented notes, I think," Underwood said, while Richie claimed he was "still trying to get the curls back in my hair."
Desmond came outside to his family with a golden ticket, which we're left to assume meant three votes of confidence from the judges.
Who got a ticket to Hollywood in Episode 3?
A dozen singers were advanced to the next stage, but none received a platinum ticket this week.