‘American Idol:’ Wé Ani and Warren Peay Duet Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ [Watch]
American Idol returned on Sunday Night (May 7) with Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran filling in for regular judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, while the pair were attending coronation festivities in the United Kingdom.
While each contestant was asked to pick a solo song out of Morissette’s catalog, they were also tasked with duetting one of Sheeran’s tracks. Warren Peay and Wé Ani were teamed up together to put their own spin on “Perfect.”
Wé Ani hit the stage first before Peay emerged and joined her center stage. From there, the two hopeful contestants took turns exchanging lyrics and blending their voices together on different verses. Instead of relying on flashy stage design elements, the pair kept things simple and often looked caringly at each other while singing the song. They concluded their time on stage together with beaming smiles, a fist bump and a victory raise of their clasped hands.
Sheeran also had a huge smile on his face and shared his appreciation for the duet. He told Peay and Wé Ani that he loved both of their voices and let everyone know that he was super happy to be involved in the show.
Morissette gave kudos to the pair for showing off their ranges and building up anticipation throughout a song.
Luke Bryan was amazed at the progression he’s seen of both singers over the course of the competition and was pleased to see the two on stage together to deliver a “special” performance.
Sunday night's episode also included live voting and subsequent results. At the end of the show, it was announced that the pair had a split fate: Wé Ani advanced to the Top 5 while Peay didn't earn enough votes and was sent home.
American Idol airs on Sunday and Monday nights at 8PM ET on ABC.