Through the magic of editing, just one night after sweeping the CMT Awards for the second year in a row, national treasure and all-around American hero Jelly Roll was in Hawaii Monday to guest-judge and mentor the American Idol top 24. And within minutes of taking his seat next to Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, the universally appealing country-rap crossover sensation was already electrifying the small screen.
"I've having so much fun sitting next to Jelly Roll!" Lionel beamed, while Luke wanted "Jelly Roll to record my morning alarm clock" after the affable motivational speaker caffeinatedly shouted some galvanizing words of wisdom and encouragement at the episode's first performer. And Jelly Roll's appearance Monday definitely should have been a wakeup call, so to speak, to Idol producers: With Katy leaving the show after this season, this guy needs to permanently join the panel and occupy her seat. Jelly's Monday appearance basically served as a two-hour Idol screentest, and he proved he is the man for the job.
Although Jelly Roll offered plenty of practical and actionable advice, he absolutely came to Hawaii with the right attitude, explaining: "I always thought if I had a chance to be a mentor on American Idol, I'd do it a little different. I'm not here to talk about the X's and O's. We're here to talk about the soul and the spirit of the song. So, y'all come ready bare your real feelings." And the 12 contestants who competed Monday (the other dozen tried their luck Sunday, with Tori Kelly guesting) warmed to him immediately and did just that. I would even venture to theorize that the reason why Monday's episode was stronger than Sunday's was down to Jelly Roll's involvement.
Jelly Roll was baring his own feelings Monday, particularly during his one-on-one mentoring session with 19-year-old country-folk crooner Mia Matthews. Mia is a family-first kind of gal: She once competed on The Voice in the trio Worth the Wait alongside her younger sister Jacy and their widowed mother, and she auditioned for Idol this year with Jacy by her side. And her late father was on her mind this week, because he was Hawaiian but the Matthews family sadly never had the chance to visit his home state before his death. Mia therefore decided to perform "Daddy's Hands" this week (her father was a carpenter, and she has vivid core memories of his hands). Once she started rehearsing, Jelly Roll — who lost his own father in 2019, which he called "probably the single hardest experience I ever had" — had a tear coursing down his tattooed cheek.
"Every minute with Mia was probably the most emotional of the day for me, because I was so connected to my father," Jelly said, telling Mia, "It's so brave of you to pick that song. ... There was a moment when you looked into the camera and I seen your soul. I seen your daddy's soul. So, you look America right in the eye and you make 'em feel Mia Matthews."
And then, just for a little comic relief, Jelly high-fived Mia and quipped, "Thanks for making me cry. I hate you." Mia responded, speaking for all of America, by exclaiming: "I love you!"
Of course, no one could hate Mia after this week's stunning performance — her best of the season — while her mama was weeping in the Aulani Resort's live audience. There was a certain Linda Ronstadt/Emmylou Harris tenderness and sweetness to Mia's heartfelt, unfussy delivery, and, as Jelly Roll noted, she crooned the 1986 Holly Dunn classic (which the nostalgic Luke called "country through and through") like she'd written it herself.
"That was a moment that we'll remember, "Lionel raved, praising Mia for not letting the vulnerability of the moment or her deeply felt childhood grief throw her off-course. Katy gushed, "That was profound. I feel like you were born tonight." And Jelly, once again demonstrating his acumen and qualifications for the full-time Idol gig, predicted that Mia will "slide into the top 20, easy money."
But who else will slide into the top 20 alongside Mia? Let's look at the rest of Monday's performances and make some other predictions, easy money or not.
Odell Bunton Jr., "Uptown Funk"
During his audition, Odell actually quoted Jelly Roll's inspirational Country Music Association Awards Best New Artist speech, so he was the perfect contestant to kick off Monday's episode. And his Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars cover was certainly a fun way to get the Aulani party started. The groovy, good-time number, with Odell in full throwback Bobby Brown/Morris Day mode, went over well with the daiquiri-swilling tourists on the sands, and he sang the heck out of it, proving why he received one of this season's three coveted Platinum Tickets. But I fear the uptempo song choice will backfire on him. There was a corny wedding/corporate band vibe to this performance; he probably should've gone with a big ballad for the first public vote of the season and waited to show this lighter side of his artistry a bit later in the game. However, Lionel assured Odell that he "made the crowd react the way you're supposed to make a crowd react," and Luke loved Odell's "low, soulful, gospel-y thing," so we shall see.
Elleigh Marie, "Forget You"
Just like Odell, Elleigh — who'd auditioned with the plaintive "I Can't Make You Love Me" — puzzlingly went with a upbeat novelty hit this week. Her song choice was inspired by her recent "boy problems" with a cheating ex, and she freely admitted, "Maybe I would pick something more heartfelt if I wasn't so pissed!" But she could have at least gone with a more "really aggressive breakup song," like "You Oughta Know" or "Since U Been Gone," instead of something this fluffy. Jelly Roll's advice that Elleigh envision her ex-boyfriend and directly sing it to him worked to an extent, and Lionel loved how she "attacked the audience" once she grabbed her microphone off its stand. But Lionel could also tell she was too in her head at times. I am afraid America will forget Elleigh after this. I hope getting the revenge on that two-timing jerk was worth the risk.
Mackenzie Sol, "Jealous"
Don't worry, Mackenzie was not once again covering the Labrinth ballad that was so difficult for him to power through after he was forced to sing it last week. This time he put what Jelly Roll called a "bold" spin on the identically titled Nick Jonas banger. Jelly gave Mackenzie solid advice on how to warm up his cold vocal cords before singing that tricky falsetto (which Mackenzie admitted he was "petrified" to attempt), and the result was this kid's best performance to date, according to both Katy and Luke — bluesy, vampy, vibey, and swaggy. Katy told Mackenzie he "commanded"; Luke said, "You had stardust all over you"; Lionel said, "You brought sexy to American Idol"; and for a moment, the usually garrulous Jelly Roll was even rendered speechless. "I don't know what to say! I had the highest expectations because I know what you're capable of, and you still blew my mind," Jelly gasped.
Jennifer Jefferies, "Bruises"
Before the commercial break, host Ryan Seacrest teased this Mississippian songbird's "game-changing performance," so I was worried that she too was about to stray from her signature style, the way Odell and Elleigh had. But Jennifer picked a pop song that was the perfect fit, and for the first time this season, she actually seemed like a pop star. After deliberating between Kodaline's "All I Want," which was actually Jelly Roll's first choice, and Lewis Capaldi's "Bruises," she went with the latter because "something about it felt right," and Jelly wasn't mad about it at all. This girl may be young, raw, and inexperienced, but she absolutely knows who she is. She was so intense and focused, so brooding and steely-eyed, and the magic really happened when she broke into a near-feral growl and pulled a stankface out of nowhere. "When you open your mouth, I hear a lifetime of pain and conviction, and it moves me in a way that I'm seldom moved," an amazed Jelly Roll told Jennifer, while Katy told her, "I think you're in the process of changing into that diamond that we know you are."
Emmy Russell, "Beautiful Things"
This coalminer's great-granddaughter — Loretta Lynn is literally her grandmother — has suffered from nerves and crises of confidence all season (and really all her life), trying to live up to her daunting family legacy. During rehearsal, her feet were actually shaking while she performed her own switched-up arrangement of this Benson Boone hit. (Side note: It's interesting that Idol claimed Benson as one of the show's own, since actually quit his season right before the top 24 when he got a better offer. But then again, Idol producers also continually brag about this week's other guest mentor, Tori Kelly, being an Idol success story despite the fact that they cut her before the top 24 of her season, so go figure.) Emmy's confidence did seem much improved after her one-on-one time with the kind and supportive Jelly Roll, and Katy thought Emmy's ethereal performance was her best of the season. A "so proud" Jelly told Emmy, "Not only do I have a vision of you going into the top 20, I have a vision of you [regularly performing] with no fear." I do think Emmy has grown enough that whatever happens now, she can go out into the world and make a name for herself. But on a competitive night like this, I don't quite think she is a lock for the next round. Ironically, it may be her Loretta connection that sways the public vote and pushes her through.
Ajii, "Higher"
After heeding Jelly's advice to "trust" his naturally powerful voice and "let it do the work," Ajii came out and killed it. This performance was a revelation, the work of a true star. Ajii had never sounded like this before, showcasing so many different colors to his vocals. He was stylized, he was syncopated, and he was even giving me (and Katy, who along with the other judges was totally stunned) some Weeknd vibes. "Wow. What a way to bring it when it matters," a "goosebumps"-covered Jelly Roll marveled. "You just owned that moment," Luke told Ajii, even comparing Ajii's off-the-charts energy to Jelly's. And to seal the deal, Ajii's mother, who'd never seen him perform before, was joyously sobbing in the front row. This was the first performance of the night where I felt certain that the contestant was top 20 material — and beyond.
Kennedy Reid, "Fancy"
I was a bit surprised that this church lady, who once made a splash belting "How Great Thou Art," would choose a supposedly inspiring song that she said was "about someone who came from nothing and made something of herself" — when "Fancy" is really about a girl whose desperately poor mother pushes her into prostitution. I suppose all songs are open to interpretation, right? Anyway, I feared the song choice would turn off Kennedy's more conservative and religious fans, but by the end of this fun and fiery tour de force, I agreed with Jelly that Kennedy seemed like a "full-blown superstar" and, as Katy put it, that America will be "obsessed" with her. This was awesome. And since cosmetic mortician Kennedy (and I mean this as the highest compliment) is basically a drag queen, I loved how she came out looking, well, very fancy in her Barbie/bachelorette party pink sparkles and Dolly-esque "biggest wig." Kennedy didn't let me down.
Jack Blocker, "Rainbow"
This winsome, warm 'n' fuzzy Kacey Musgraves misfit anthem showcased the softer side of the constantly muggy and grinning Jack, who has long been dismissed by the judges and can sometimes come across as Season 22's class clown. This performance was so endearing (and "so pro," as Luke noted), and every facial expression, exaggerated or not, seemed intentional and important to the song's core message. Katy, Jack's biggest doubter up until now, appreciated all of his "vocal risks and subtleties," and Lionel told Jack, "You are a storytellers' storyteller. I could sit here and listen you to all night." I want to listen to Jack all season long.
Roman Collins, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"
Roman has been warned to edit himself and hold back, but Jelly didn't agree and instead urged Roman to sing for America, not for the judges. "You do you!" Jelly assured Roman. You see, this is why Jelly Roll needs to be a regular Idol judge! He was totally right (so much so that Lionel later hugged Jelly to thank him). Despite Roman being nervous to cover a Marvin Gaye classic "in a completely opposite way," his jazzy, calypso-tinged performance totally worked. It was practically at an awards-show level. The energy was immense, as were the vocals. "We just found another religion. ... That, brother, was on fire," raved Lionel. "That was a 30-minute show wrapped up in two minutes," Luke chuckled. And Katy, who said Roman found the "sweet spot" between doing too much and doing too little, predicted that he will be "the first cool gospel hipster kid [to perform] at Coachella." See you in the desert.
KBlocks, "Harleys in Hawaii"
When I learned that this maverick would be covering one of Katy's lesser-known and more underrated singles, "Harleys in Hawaii," right in front of Katy, in Hawaii, I was excited, because KBlocks has always been thrillingly fearless. But... this was rough. I was so disappointed, because up until now KBlocks had been my favorite contestant of the entire season. Jelly pointed out during rehearsal that she'd "overshot" and sounded sharp, but I don't know if she even tried to correct that, because on the main stage, as enjoyable as it was to watch her cut loose, she sounded even worse But maybe her harsh, screechy vocals sounded different on the beach, or maybe the judges had just imbibed a few judgment-clouding Mai Tais, because they actually adored this performance. Katy called KBlocks a "whole vibe" and joked that she wanted KBlocks to record the official remix of this Smile track. Jelly loved that KBlocks was "on an island of her own" and "unapologetically" herself. And Luke called her "something to behold." Well, that was true, I guess... just not in a good way. I would love for her to get another chance and make it to the top 20 (as the judges bizarrely predicted), but I think KBlocks is going to get blocked.
Triston Harper, "God's Country"
"Triston has the voice of a man who's been through a lifetime of pain — and he's only 15 years old," Jelly Roll marveled, and he continued to hard-sell Triston to America as he raved about how "unapologetically country" the kid is. But Jelly didn't need to do any campaigning, and Triston didn't even need Monday's pimp spot, because this "youngest man with the oldest soul" lived up to the hype. He went with a genius, on-brand song choice, and he delivered it with such conviction and such a bowel-rumbling low tone and he made the song's originator, Blake Shelton, seem like an amateur. "You have a swagger that at 15 you don't even know you have. You can win this competition, young man," Jelly told Triston. Triston, who won his 9th grade talent contest by singing a Jelly Roll song, said the country superstar's optimistic prediction made him "really have faith in myself." So, with this added confidence boost, Jelly's prediction could come true. That middle school talent show was just the beginning.
But now, it is my time to make some difficult predictions. Like I said, Monday was an overall stronger night than Sunday, so no matter what, we're going to lose two great singers from this bunch. I think the only shoo-ins for the top 20 are Mia, Ajii, Kennedy, and Triston, while the most at-risk contestants are Odell, Elleigh, and, unfortunately, my girl KBlocks. But despite their stellar efforts and the panel's praise, there's no guarantee that Emmy, Jack, Roman, Mackenzie, or my girl Jennifer are safe. Things will no doubt get interesting on next Sunday's special three-hour episode, when we learn all of the top 24 contestants' fates. See you then.
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