We just have something in our eyes! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the most emotional performances “American Idol” has given us.
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00:00 Welcome to Ms Mojo and today we're looking at the most emotional performances
00:13 American Idol has given us.
00:16 Number 10. God Only Knows - Maddie Poppy
00:27 When ABC launched its American Idol revival in 2018,
00:32 there was more pressure than ever to find a bona fide artist.
00:36 Eventual champion Maddie Poppy proved to be a stunning song interpreter.
00:41 Her top 5 performance of The Beach Boys' God Only Knows is an all-time great.
00:54 With her big innocent eyes regularly looking directly into the camera
00:59 and her gentle coup of a voice,
01:02 it was hard to imagine anyone else taking the crown at the end of the season.
01:06 If her voice wasn't enough to bring on the waterworks,
01:17 Poppy's performance was dedicated to her mother,
01:20 who was watching proudly as her daughter became a star.
01:24 The poised Maddie was visibly moved by the end, and so were we.
01:29 Number 9. Can't Help Falling In Love - Gina Irene
01:51 Some songs are so iconic, it's best to either leave them alone or take big swings.
01:57 Season 13 contestant Gina Irene took a massive swing with her rendition of this Elvis ballad,
02:04 and she nailed it.
02:15 Irene's expert-level vocal flourishes wrung every bit of feeling from the song
02:21 and even layered on some new ones.
02:23 It was clear that she was pouring her heart out on that stage.
02:34 Then judge Jennifer Lopez couldn't even wait until the end to give her a well-deserved standing ovation
02:41 and ran up on stage to hug and kiss her once it was over.
02:51 Number 8. Over the Rainbow - Catherine McPhee
02:55 You know you're comfortable on stage when you can just deliver a powerhouse vocal from the floor.
03:10 Season 5 contestant Catherine McPhee left us sobbing with this velvety, smooth jazz rendition
03:17 of the Wizard of Oz classic.
03:19 It's hard not to feel instantly nostalgic when you hear Over the Rainbow.
03:24 It's a song so well-crafted, it seems deceptively simple and straightforward.
03:30 McPhee didn't oversell it here.
03:40 Embodying the numbers hopeful message, her lilting voice sailed over the melody with grace and ease.
03:47 All three judges sang her praises.
03:50 Not only did it represent a personal peak for her in the competition,
03:54 but Simon Cowell declared it a season standout.
03:58 And I'm not just saying this because I chose the song,
04:00 but that was the single best performance of the competition today.
04:05 Number 7. If I Can't Have You - Adam Lambert
04:14 While his take on Mad World won acclaim, it was Adam Lambert's gentle reimagining of the Yvonne Elliman
04:21 Bee Gees disco hit, If I Can't Have You, that made us verklempt.
04:33 The season 8 runner-up has always had a special talent for taking dance songs
04:38 and making you think, "Whoa, that is actually really sad."
04:47 But that's not all Lambert brought to the track here.
04:58 The new arrangement allowed him to find the real pain and vulnerability hiding in plain sight.
05:04 When you hear him wail on the chorus,
05:06 it's hard to remember what the number sounded like before he stripped it back.
05:22 Number 6. I Believe - Fantasia
05:31 Emotions were already high when Fantasia Barrino was announced the winner of Season 3.
05:38 Fantasia sang her heart out every week, but it was always clear how badly she wanted to win.
05:45 When her dream came true on stage in front of her loved ones and all of America,
05:50 it's a wonder she could even make it through the reprise of her coronation song.
06:03 Her post-win rendition of I Believe is one for the ages.
06:08 She closed out the season with a tearful
06:11 and joyous celebration of faith and possibility as fireworks,
06:15 confetti, and a choir filled the stage around her.
06:26 Number 5. You Set Me Free - Angie Miller
06:30 Original songs can be tricky.
06:32 You're not only exposing your singing to criticism,
06:36 but your songwriting as well. Yet Season 12's eventual third-place finalist,
06:41 Angie Miller, knew she needed to stand out. It worked.
06:51 As she tore her way through her original number,
06:54 You Set Me Free, it was clear the judges didn't expect this from her.
06:59 She earned a standing ovation and turned the odds completely in her favor.
07:04 "I'm not alone. I know so many people at home right now are like,
07:07 'Where do I get that song?'" "The song, the sentiment, the passion that you're singing with."
07:12 As judge Nicki Minaj would say,
07:14 "Miller was not even in contention for a top spot until that moment.
07:20 We can see them changing their minds in real time,
07:23 inspired by her vulnerability, natural talent, and raw rendition."
07:36 Number 4. No More Drama - LaPortia Renee
07:40 Before stepping on the stage with this Mary J. Blige song,
07:44 Season 15's LaPortia Renee mentioned her personal connection to the lyrics.
07:49 Given that it's an anthem about finding strength after an abusive relationship,
07:54 this already gave the moment the potential to be intensely affecting.
07:59 "Feels so good when you let go of all the trauma."
08:05 LaPortia kept her composure through the deeply personal and ferocious interpretation.
08:11 However, by the end, she was left shivering with tears and we followed suit.
08:18 "You can't break me, you can't beat me, you won't take me, you can't kill me."
08:30 She left it all on the stage and then some.
08:34 The performance had a profound effect on the audience and the judges,
08:38 particularly Jennifer Lopez, whose reaction echoed all of ours.
08:44 "You're an inspiration. It was so beautiful and you put it in your music and you don't overdo it.
08:49 You do it right there in the pack the way you're supposed to.
08:51 It's just, it was powerful. Thank you for that moment."
08:55 Number 3. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Clay Aiken
08:59 We've seen what a choir can do to up the sob factor on the idol stage.
09:04 From the first note this one hits, it's clear this is gonna be a powerful moment.
09:10 "When tears are in your eyes."
09:17 Finalist Clay Aiken took the entire show to church with his gospel-inspired take
09:22 on the Simon and Garfunkel tune.
09:25 Aiken's voice, with that mix of softness and power, cut right through the song like a knife through warm butter.
09:32 "Like a bridge over troubled water."
09:39 The soaring vocals of the choir put it all over the top.
09:43 His performance was so unforgettable, he reprised it at the finale
09:49 during the show's 12th season, 10 years later.
09:53 "Well, look around, I'm sad and right behind."
10:00 Number 2. Piece By Piece - Kelly Clarkson
10:03 The tears were flowing the night Kelly Clarkson made history as the very first Idol winner.
10:10 But her impassioned performance during a Season 15 episode went viral.
10:15 As she performed her single "Piece By Piece," Clarkson broke down,
10:20 even offering a breathless apology to the audience.
10:24 "I'm sorry. But a man can be kind, and a father should be great."
10:35 But there was nothing to apologize for.
10:38 We were all in the palm of her hand as she sang the song she co-wrote in response to her father's absence.
10:45 "Back then I didn't have anything you needed, so I was worthless."
10:52 It encapsulates a reality she explains she only felt the real depth of once she had a family of her own.
11:00 Watching her perform on the American Idol stage once again felt like a true culmination of her career and success,
11:08 in spite of the hardship.
11:10 "She will never have to wonder her worth, because unlike you I'm gonna put her first."
11:18 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:23 Rainbow Sam Finelli
11:25 Finelli discussed life with autism before winning the judges over with a gorgeous performance.
11:31 "Hold on to your umbrella, darling I'm just trying to tell ya."
11:38 Hallelujah Jason Castro
11:40 Castro's rendition was so well received he reprised it on the season 7 finale.
11:46 "Baby I've been here before, I've seen this room and I've walked this floor."
11:52 Imagine David Archuleta. The velvet voice David Archuleta made us cry with his John Lennon cover.
12:00 "Shed a ring for the world, you."
12:09 I Who Have Nothing - Jordan Sparks
12:12 The season 6 winner belted her face off and left nobody unaffected.
12:18 "I love you, I love you."
12:28 If Ever You're In My Arms Again - Ruben Studdard
12:32 Ruben's take on this 80's ballad won hearts and broke them too.
12:37 "This time will never end."
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12:56 1. Monsters - Iyam Tongi
13:00 "Take your time, take your time. It's okay man. You know when you love so deeply, you feel so deeply.
13:06 And so what you're just giving us right now is the fact that you love that man so much. Okay, we're there with you."
13:12 Hawaii native Iyam Tongi already won the judges over with his warm spirit and story about his recently deceased dad Rodney.
13:21 And that was all before he started singing. Tongi performed James Blunt's Monsters,
13:27 a touching ballad from the point of view of a grown son talking to his father.
13:32 "Don't be afraid. It's my turn to chase the monsters away."
13:39 To say it was soul-stirring would be a true understatement.
13:44 By the end, the judges and millions of viewers were crying, us included.
13:50 The song took an incredibly poignant meaning at the season finale,
13:55 when the original artist James Blunt had to step in and sing for Tongi when he became overcome with emotion.
14:03 "You can feel my hand on your arm."
14:11 Tongi was crowned the winner that evening.
14:14 What's your favorite emotional idol performance? Cry us a river in the comments.
14:20 "I was not worried about whether you were going to make it through the song.
14:26 I was worried about whether we were going to make it through the song."
14:28 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms Mojo.
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14:36 [MUSIC]