While sitting on as a guest judge for “American Idol,” Ed Sheeran experienced a rendition of his song “Photograph” that blew him away.
On May 7, contestants Iam Tongi, 18, and Oliver Steele, 25, joined forces to perform a duet of the song from Sheeran’s second studio album.
The two “American Idol” contestants brought their acoustic guitars to the stage, where they performed the song before regular judge Luke Bryan and guest judges Sheeran and Alanis Morissette.
Sheeran and Morissette sat in for Katy Perry and Lionel Richie while they took part in the Coronation Celebration for King Charles III and performed as headliners.
Tongi and Steele performed Sheeran's 2014 hit alongside a small orchestra, and Steele started the performance off, softly singing, "Loving can hurt / Loving can hurt sometimes / But it's the only thing that I know."
Then, a smooth transition occurs where Tongi takes the next lyrical bit, with the audience cheering as they start to sway their hands to the music.
During the chorus, both their voices chime in together to create harmony. For the rest of the song, the two singers go in and out of taking their solo moments and coming together in harmony, with occasional glances toward Sheeran flashing smiles.
The two singers concluded their act as they sang, "Wait for me to come home," and then a massive applause erupted from the audience.
“This is a unique dynamic, watching them sing your songs here in a forum like this,” Seacrest said to Sheeran at the end of the performance. “What’s going through your mind?”
“Just how well your voices complement each other. That was so beautiful to listen to, both your vocal tones fit so well with each other,” Sheeran replied. “I know that both of you have, like— I’m listening to it knowing that there’s a crazy power singing ability that’s in there, but just gentleness and soulfulness you’re bringing. I got emotional listening to that, it was good.”
Speaking of the two singers’ connection, Morissette emphasized her admiration for their ability to meld different styles adding how she felt moved by their performance.
“Iam and Oliver, I just know you’re coming from two completely different places and yet you have this really cohesive respective connection with each other,” she remarked. “I was just really moved, and hearing men be vulnerable is ... be still my beating heart.”
It’s not the first time a performance from Tongi has blown the “American Idol” audience and judges away.
On April 30, the singer from Kahuku, Hawaii, gave a heart-clutching rendition of the 1962 soul hit “Bring It On Home To Me” by Sam Cooke. The performance quickly brought Richie, Perry and Bryan to their feet.
Earlier in April, Tongi went viral with his take on “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel. The performance currently has 4.4 million views on YouTube.
