American Idol is one of the most popular and iconic singing competitions on television.
The show has produced stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jennifer Hudson.
We’re familiar with the format of the show, where contestants compete against each other with their showstopping performances of their rendition of classic or current hits.
Doing a rendition of a singer’s signature song could be nerve-wracking, especially if they’re the guest judge for the week.
There are times that the show would invite artists to sit with or in place of the existing judges, especially if the week’s theme is from their discography.
The recent season featured Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran when Katy Perry and Lionel Richie attended the King’s Coronation.
It was also a perfect opportunity for Ed to hear one of his songs performed lives in the show.
Iam Tongi and Oliver Steele sang Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” during their live show last May 7.
The Hawaiian sensation and singer-songwriter from Nashville teamed up with their moving performance of Ed’s famous song.
It tells a story of the singer’s experience being in a long-distance relationship while on tour and that promise to “what for [him] to come home.”
Everyone could easily relate to this because we all have someone dear to us who lives far away – a lover, friend, or family.
The two contestants slowed down the tempo to create an emotional connection with the song.
Iam and Oliver had their guitars at hand – the two were known to be also talented in the instrument.
They had an orchestra in the background, which made their performance more touching.
Oliver started with the first verse, and you can already feel the emotions in his voice.
You can sense the love and pain (that comes with loving) in his voice, which was very apt for the line he sang.
Then, it transitioned to Iam, and the crowd was totally feeling it.
Their voices blended so well; it was like they practiced this a thousand times.
These two contestants formed a strong bond during the competition, and Oliver once posted on his Instagram account that he earned a “friend for life” with Iam.
Their performance showed that chemistry.
The camera often panned to Ed Sheeran, who looked at the two contestants in awe.
You couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he was enjoying the performance.
It must have felt good to witness other singers do a rendition of your song and do it perfectly.
Ryan Seacrest asked Ed about his thoughts on the performance.
“Just how well your voices complement each other. That was so beautiful to listen to. Both your vocal tones fit so well with each other,” he answered the award-winning host.
“I know that both of you have, like— I’m listening to it knowing that there’s a crazy power singing ability that’s in there, but just gentleness and soulfulness you’re bringing. I got emotional listening to that; it was good,” he added.
Alanis Morissette added that their vulnerability in that performance made it more beautiful.
The Jagged Little Pill artist noticed that their connection made the performance more cohesive despite being two different people and types of artists.
Watch their full performance in the video below.
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