Wé Ani delivered a performance worthy of a Bond film Sunday night (April 23), rounding out American Idol‘s Top 20 with her dramatic take on Adele’s “Skyfall.”
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The 24-year-old Harlem, New York native gave a seemingly effortless display center stage, belting out every word and getting the audience on their feet. One to watch since she first auditioned, Ani’s most recent performance only cemented her star power and further secured her place in the competition.
At the end of her performance came a standing ovation as the judges –artists Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry– gave each other knowing looks.
The young hopeful has had the “it” factor throughout the season. A few weeks ago, she stunned with a showstopper of all the Showstoppers, taking on Aretha Franklin’s classic “Ain’t No Way” with ease and confidence. Her performance then proved she not only had the vocal power, but a captivating stage presence to back it up.
It was then that Richie singled her out as one of the greats on the show this season, recalling “We’ve had a class of outstanding singers. Cutting it down is the hardest thing … Trying to cut a great singer, that’s impossible. You are a great singer.”
She first struck the judges with her audition at the start of the season, singing Demi Lovato’s “Anyone.” When she spoke, the panel was taken aback as her speaking and singing voices sounded very different, the former meek compared to her passionate lilt.
“You are amazing,” Richie said of her audition. “This class is shaping up to be ridiculous. And I don’t want to put you into the ridiculous category, but that was ridiculous.”
We Ani has wowed throughout her journey on the competition show and doesn’t seem poised to stop anytime soon. Check out her performance of “Skyfall” below.
Photo by Eric McCandless/Courtesy of ABC
