'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
American Idol Season 20 aired Episode 18 on Sunday, and it featured the Top 7 contestants performing viral hit songs from TikTok.
The first participant was Leah Marlene, who picked Electric Love by BORNS. The track became popular on TikTok with reels where one friend kisses another to see how they react.
The mentor of the night on the show was will.i.am, who appreciated that Marlene chose a challenging song. The judges also enjoyed her performance for the most part, but viewers were not entirely impressed.
What do fans have to say?
Fans didn’t like Leah Marlene’s performance and thought she sounded off. Many believe that she didn’t deliver her best. Judge Lionel Richie was seen commenting that she was all over the place. Because his tone didn’t sound negative, Marlene took it as a compliment.
However, viewers believed that he wasn't praising Marlene’s singing. Here’s how fans reacted to her performance of Electric Love by BORNS:
Leah Marlene is a 20-year-old musician from Normal, Illinois. Fans believe that her best performance on the show was when she sang When She Loved Me from Toy Story 2 on Disney Night. The performances from other episodes have not impressed viewers entirely, but they see some potential in her.
The reality TV star has now marked her spot in the Top 7, and it remains to be seen if she’ll be promoted to the Top 5.
Speaking about her experience on the show, she told Parade:
“It’s really cool with American Idol, because once you’re in the family, you’re in the family. So, we all now have this connection to all of our Idols that have been on the show before.”
A short recap of American Idol Episode 18
Leah Marlene was the first candidate to perform on stage in American Idol Season 20 Episode 18. The Top 7 contestants were Jay Copeland, Fritz Hager, Noah Thompson, Huntergirl, Nicolina Bozzo, and Christian Guardino.
The singers first performed to TikTok viral hits and then dedicated their next track to Mother’s Day. The official synopsis of Season 20 Episode 18 reads:
"In a special Mother’s Day episode, the Top 7 dedicate songs to their mother or the mother figure in their lives, as well as perform viral hits made popular on TikTok. GRAMMY® Award-winning artist and producer will.i.am returns to “American Idol” to mentor the remaining contestants vying for a spot in the Top 5.”
While the rest of the contestants performed on stage, Thompson delivered his performance from his room as he was tested COVID-19 positive before tonight’s show.
Meanwhile, American Idol is nearing its finale, and the show will decide on a winner soon. The show airs new episodes every Sunday and Monday on ABC at 8.00 pm ET. Each episode’s run time is two hours.
