Watch Charlotte native Blake Proehl’s Top 24 ‘American Idol’ performance from Sunday
Blake Proehl, the only remaining “American Idol’ contestant from North Carolina, performed Sunday at Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, on Oahu, Hawaii for his chance to make the show’s top 20.
Before he took the stage, Blake, a Charlotte native and former NFL player, said his football background was different from music — an art that he’s still trying to perfect.
“I had confidence in football and I didn’t have to think much, I just went out there and played,” Blake said. “Music and singing, I’m in the growing pains of it and learning.”
Blake was mentored by Grammy-winning artist Tori Kelly, who said nerves could affect his stage presence.
“Blake is such a sweetheart, and he really impressed me with some of those high notes,” Kelly said ahead of Blake’s performance. “In sports, having all that adrenaline is actually good, but in a performance, he has to find a way to channel that energy.”
Here’s how his performance went.
Getting ‘out of his head’
After Blake sang “Anyone” by Justin Bieber, Kelly, along with “Idol” judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were impressed, but saw room for improvement.
“You’re the only thing standing in the way of you going to the next level,” Perry said. “Just remember to just push yourself every single time, out of your head.”
“I can tell you’re still really in the growth of what you’re becoming as an artist, but man, you’ve got this kind of boy next door charm thing that’s going on and when you really put the work in and put it all together, I think you may hit some magic, so keep swinging,” Bryan said.
“You have such a presence about you that’s already so infectious and makes people want to watch,” Kelly said. “I think the more that you play with those little things it’ll just keep getting better.”
“It’s so different when you play with a team versus your solo career on the stage,” Richie said. “Get out of your head and you will find you can raise your game to the next level.”
How does ‘American Idol’ voting work?
Voting for Sunday’s episode began last night at 8 p.m. and ended on Monday at 6 a.m., but if Blake makes it to the top 20, here’s how you can vote for him:
Online at americanidol.com/vote
In the American Idol app
Via text, by texting the number of your favorite contestant to “21523”
Each week, you can submit up to 10 votes for each remaining contestant per voting method, meaning you can cast up to 30 votes.
You must be at least 16 years old and located in the U.S., Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands to vote on ABC.com or in the “American Idol” app.
How to watch ‘American Idol’
The next episode of “American Idol” will air on Monday, April 8 at 8 p.m. on ABC. More singers will perform and try to make the Top 20.
The Top 20 will be revealed during next week’s episodes, which will air on April 14 and 15 at 8 p.m.
Here’s who made it to the ‘American Idol’ Top 24 from NC in Monday night’s show
Here’s when to watch the eclipse in Charlotte on Monday: Check out our graphic
