Olivier Bergeron brought the judges — and much of America — to the brink of tears on American Idol Monday night (April 14), performing Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay” with vulnerability and raw conviction.
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The 22-year-old Canadian contestant, who grew up in a French-speaking community in New Brunswick, explained before the performance that music isn’t just a dream for him, it’s a lifeline.
“It’s very hard to be a dreamer where I’m from,” he said in a pre-performance package. “It’s an emergency. I need to be a singer. That’s the only thing I can do. I just want to show to everyone in my hometown that when you believe in something, it’s possible.”
Bergeron took the stage at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii for the Top 24 round of Season 23, pouring emotion into every line of the Jelly Roll ballad. The artist-in-residence himself was in the audience, and deeply moved by what he witnessed.
“I know what it’s like to be untrained and overwhelmed and just singing from the bottom of my soul with every part of me shaking,” Jelly Roll told Bergeron after the performance. “I see it and I feel it on you. To be a kid that hardly speaks English, to be coming over here and kicking this much butt already, I am a big fan and I am your family.”
The performance quickly became one of the standout moments of the night as voting opened for viewers to help determine who advances to the Top 20.
Other memorable performances during the night included Drew Ryn’s moving rendition of Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You,” Thunderstorm Artis’ soulful take on Bob Marley’s “Is This Love,” and Mattie Pruitt’s full-circle moment singing Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake.”
Voting for American Idol remains open until 6 a.m. ET on Tuesday (April 15). The Top 14 will be revealed live next Monday, following a three-hour Easter special featuring performances by CeCe Winans, Jelly Roll with Brandon Lake, and more.
