The season finale came to a close by showering new champ Nick Fradiani in confetti
Wednesday
night’s American Idol season
14 finale opened with finalists Clark Beckham and Nick
Fradiani singing “Centuries” alongside Fall Out Boy. But
only one can go down in history as the next American Idol, and that one is Nick
-- although, being remembered for centuries might be a tad optimistic.
Before
Ryan Seacrest got to the results, American Idol packed
in two hours of exciting performances from season 14 contestants, judges, and
huge stars from the music industry. To kick things off, fifth-place contestant Tyanna
Jones performed a medley with The Jacksons, and it was a stark
reminder that Jones should have lasted longer in the competition than she did.
At 16-years-old, she was one of the most consistent and versatile artists in
the competition. She held her own with The Jacksons, and she’s definitely
headed for greatness.
Jones
joined fellow top-12 ladies Adanna Duru, Jax Cole,
Sarina-Joi Crowe, Joey Cook, and Maddie
Walker for a medley with Nile Rodgers and
Chic. Jones, Cole, and Cook stood out in particular, but overall it was one of
the best group performances of the night. The top 12 this season had so many
strong and talented women, so it’s shame that none of them made it into the
finale.
Ricky Martin
took the stage next to sing “Mr. Put It Down.” For “Livin La Vida
Loca,” “She Bangs,” and “The Cup Of Life,” he was joined by Beckham, Fradiani, Quentin
Alexander, Qaasim Middleton, Rayvon Owen.
It was fun to see natural performers Alexander and Middleton back on the stage
where they really shine. The performance definitely highlighted the fact that
Beckham is not a dancer.
Wearing
a crown because she’s an actual queen, Janelle
Monae performed her new hit “Yoga,” and it was everything you can
expect from Monae: a fun and artful performance that was impossible to not
dance along to. Duru joined her, as well as Jidenna for his verse. Duru sounded
great and let’s just say her dance skills are a little (read: a lot) better
than Beckham’s.
“What’s
up American Idol, it’s your new boyfriend,” pop singer Prince Royce said
as he took the stage next. Slow down there, Royce. Take American Idol
on a date first or something. The eager Idol boyfriend was joined by
fellow Bronx native Jennifer Lopez for his single “Back It
Up,” and J.Lo got to show off those dance skills she’ll be rocking during her Las Vegas residency
in 2016. Pitbull also appeared, wearing sunglasses, naturally.
Next, Daniel
Seavey became the newest kid on the block, joining New Kids On The
Block for a performance and learning their signature dance moves. As the
youngest contestant in season 14, Seavey continually impressed with his
advanced vocal abilities and maturity, but he also went home at the right time.
Quentin
Alexander and Vance Joy performed “Riptide,” followed by
Pitbull, Chris Brown, and Qaasim Middleton singing “Fun.”
Middleton honestly outperformed Pitbull and Brown on their own song. They were
followed by former Idol judge Steven Tyler, singing
his new country single “Love Is Your Name.”
Tyler
was then joined by Jax Cole for “Piece Of My Heart,” and they both rocked it
out, ending on top of the judges’ table. Jax Cole could have so easily been a
finalist tonight. This girl can rock. She finally got her moment of
closure that she didn’t have when she was eliminated so quickly last night.
After a stellar performance, she thanked her fans for getting her as far as
they did.
Beckham
then took the stage with Michael McDonald for “Takin’ It To
The Streets,” both playing along on the piano, followed by Andy Grammer
and Fradiani singing “Back Home” and “Honey I’m Good.” By this point, even
Seacrest was getting antsy for the show to be over with, telling the Fradiani
fam that he was getting hungry.
But
it still wasn’t quite time for the results. Next, all three judges covered Rihanna’s
“Diamonds,” with Harry Connick Jr. on the piano, Urban on
guitar, and J.Lo singing. They then transitioned into “Locked Out Of Heaven” by
Bruno Mars, and Urban and J.Lo sang together. It was fun to
see the judges on the other side of things for once, and J.Lo looked like an
actual diamond.
After
one last commercial break, it was time to get down to business. For the final time
this season, Seacrest opened the results envelope, and the lights dimmed. Nick
Fradiani became the 14th American Idol, with Clark Beckham as the runner-up.
Fradiani was joined by the rest of the top 12 contestants, and Fradiani
accepted his trophy. Fradiani was speechless as Seacrest congratulated him.
Then he closed out the show with his debut single “Beautiful Life” as the
confetti fell.
