The singer known as Scarypoolparty drops in for Monday night's (March 23) episode.
Tensions tend to run super-high during Hollywood Week on American Idol. Nobody is getting any sleep, the pressure is intense and nerves are frayed as dozens of singers battle it out to make it into the top 40 and possibly land a chance at the live shows. Which is why it helps when someone who’s been there drops by to offer some sage advice.
The two-hour episode features the remaining singers duking it out with solo performances after Sunday’s duets night, all in the hopes of making it to the next round at the Aulani Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii. But before they hear the judge’s final comments, in a sneak peek of the episode, check out last year’s runner-up, Alejandro Aranda (aka Scarypoolparty), give the kids a pep talk about how to survive the pressure-packed Idol atmosphere.
“I was definitely feeling a lot of nerves,” Aranda tells the contestants about his anxiety going into the solo round. “But it was mostly because I was anxious because I know I’m going to express myself and play something that’s from my heart.”
The singer, who wowed the judges all last season with his intense, wildly original sound, told the striving Idol performers that it’s OK to feel nervous or whatever they’re feeling, as long as they keep in mind that they are expressing themselves and singing their song their own way.
A source close to Idol told Billboard last week that producers are working on a plan for the rest of the season, which, like nearly every other movie and TV production, has shut down temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For now, the contestants have been sent home and pre-taped shows will continue airing, with live shows still slated to begin airing on an as-yet-unannounced date in April.
Watch the preview clip below.