Wé Ani put the “rock” in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night on American Idol Sunday night (April 30).
Videos by American Songwriter
The 24-year-old Harlem, New York native flipped the Etta James classic, “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” on its head, turning the R&B standard into a ferocious rock anthem. From the first note, her performance was pure power and strength, a confident display worthy of the greats.
In her mentoring session with former Idol contestant-turned-Queen frontman, Adam Lambert, Ani revealed she was being pulled between the James tune and Tina Turner’s “River Deep – Mountain High.”
“It was important for me to pick these two songs because they’re both by really strong Black women,” she explained. Lambert ultimately recommended the former for the young singer, saying it was the perfect foil to show off that “she’s an original.”
He was right. She gave viewers a show that only further solidified her one-of-a-kind talents, taking on another vocal great’s signature song and making it her own. Ani stepped out onto the Idol stage against a smokey rock riff, rewriting the tune with every word. The camera panned to the judges—veteran artists Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry—to show them all mesmerized. They were not looking at the same soft-spoken hopeful that auditioned for them only months before.
All three were on their feet before her performance even closed with Richie having to “get a grip on the situation” after her display. “That was how you bring nasty to the table,” he said.
Perry echoed his sentiment, saying Ani “did not come here to play … You just turned this thing into a competition.” Bryan concurred, adding “I’ve never heard this room get that loud.”
With that performance, Ani secured her place in the competition and again set herself apart as a star. Check out her gripping performance of “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” below.
Photo by Eric McCandless/ABC
