IDOL: Lucas Leon’s Charming ’90s Country Cover Surprises Judges
Lucas Leon impressed the "American Idol" judges with his cover of a '90s country love song during the Judges' Song Contest night. (Photo Credit ABC / American Idol via YouTube)
Lucas Leon Chooses A Tim McGraw And Faith Hill Song For American Idol Performance
Tennessee teen Lucas Leon completely charmed the American Idol judges with his cover of a ’90s country love song.
The April 6th episode of Idol featured two overarching elements. For starters, it was the night of the Judges’ Song Contest!
During the contest, each of the three judges selected a song they wanted the contestants to perform. Host Ryan Seacrest presented these songs to the singers without revealing which judge asked for them.
The contestants learned which judge selected their chosen song after their performances on April 6th. The judge with the most songs selected got to save one contestant from elimination at the end of the night.
Secondly, the episode was entirely ’90s themed! So every song the Idol judges proposed was released during the ’90s.
The judges also had fun dressing up in ’90s-style outfits to match the theme of the evening.
RELATED: 9 SWOON-WORTHY ’90S COUNTRY LOVE SONGS THAT STILL GIVE US BUTTERFLIES
18-year-old Lucas Leon was given these ’90s hits as his options to perform. They all just so happened to be country songs:
- “It’s Your Love” by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
- “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” by Toby Keith
- “Aint That Lonely Yet” by Dwight Yoakam
In the pre-performance package, Leon told Seacrest he thought he’d perform “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” So everyone was stunned when he stepped onstage and started singing “It’s Your Love” instead!
Did Lucas Leon Advance Into Idol‘s Top 11 After His ’90s Cover?
Leon’s cover of “It’s Your Love” was earnest and effortless, and he exuded confidence. He played his acoustic guitar as he sang and looked around the room, managing to work the crowd without ever leaving his spot behind his microphone.
After Leon’s performance ended, he learned that Lionel Richie was the judge who chose “It’s Your Love” for him. Richie and the other judges showered Leon with compliments:
“Your voice with that song resonated to the point of believability,” Richie said. “I love what you did.“
“You surprised me on that song,” said Carrie Underwood. She added, “It felt believable. It felt genuine. I liked your voice on it.“
“Lucas, I’m so glad you picked that,” said Luke Bryan. “The last two times that we’ve seen you perform, you’ve really even grown into like, a more artistic mindset…you’re working the room and it’s really working for you. Great song choice, glad you picked it.“
But was Leon’s performance enough to help him earn one of the coveted spots in Idol‘s Top 11? The answer is…yes!
Leon advanced based on America’s votes and didn’t need to be saved by the judge who won the Song Contest. The Top 11 contestants are:
- Lucas Leon
- Hannah Harper
- Brooks Rosser
- Keyla Richardson
- Philmon Lee
- Braden Rumfelt
- Daniel Stallworth
- Jordan McCullough
- Chris Tungseth
- Kyndal Inskeep
- Rae (Saved by Lionel Richie, the winner of the Judges’ Song Contest)
Fans will now get the chance to see Leon perform during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-themed night on April 13. In the meantime, check out his cover of “It’s Your Love” in the video below.
