American Idol Season 23 Showstoppers: Gabby Samone Breaks Out with Nina Simone’s “Four Women”
Sunday night on American Idol Season 23, the Top 62 contestants performed showstoppers for a spot in the next round. One of the standout singers of the night, Gabby Samone, impressed the judges so much that she was one of only four singers to advance straight to the Top 24, skipping the Head-to-Head competition. (Read our Recap)
Many singers pushed themselves to the limits and some overshot, but Gabby, a 22-year-old Baltimore native, delivered a breakout performance by showcasing her incredible vocal dynamics. The singer chose “Four Women” by Nina Simone for her performance. It was a refreshing choice considering much of the night consisted of overdone songs. For instance, fans typically only hear Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You” or “Feeling Good” covered on singing shows.
In her video package Gabby explained why she chose the song. “It is about strong black women who struggled throughout their lives, and just being labeled,” Gabby said, adding that she relates to the song’s powerful message. She continued, “As a black girl, it’s important to show other little black girls, that you can be the face of ‘American Idol.” She hoped showing who she is will pay off.
The performance started off in a jazzy, subtle manner. The music starts quietly allowing Gabby to showcase incredible technique. In some of her other performances, she jumped around the notes a bit. But this entire performance is very in the pocket. She also connected to the lyrics and hit a few big belting notes. She finished the performance with a satisfying riff and run. The judges panel and the audience are on their feet.
“She just came rolling to the top of the competition”
Gabby’s take on the song wowed Luke Bryan. He said, “She just came rolling to the top of the competition.” Carrie Underwood was very impressed, saying “she didn’t do too much with it. She stood there.” Gabby called it “the best feeling in the world” after the intense reaction from the room.
Gabby advanced to the Top 24 alongside Platinum Ticket recipient Canaan James Hill who continued to be consistent on his song choice, “Never Would Have Made It,” young singer, Mattie Pruitt, who was rock solid on “It’s a Man’s Man’s World,” and a surprising pick in Zaylie Windsor who has potential but seemed to miss a fair amount of notes on “Happier Than Ever.”
Other impressive showstopper performances included Drew Ryn’s partially acapella “Always On My Mind,” Thunderstorm Artis’ storytelling vibe on “Imagine,” and Olivier Bergeron who like Gabby, could be a potential dark horse who gave a surprising rendition of “Like a Stone.”
