Drake McCain Gets Luke Bryan Dancing With ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me)’ Cover on ‘American Idol’

It all came down to Drake McCain and Cecil Ray on Monday’s episode of American Idol, with the two contestants…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

March 29, 2021

9:46 pm

Drake McCain, Luke Bryan

It all came down to Drake McCain and Cecil Ray on Monday’s episode of American Idol, with the two contestants vying for the final spot in the Top 24 during the Showstopper/ Final Judgement Round.

McCain took a risk and chose to sing Luke Bryan’s 2011 hit “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” as Bryan watched on from the judges’ panel. His energy-filled performance had the country superstar up out of his chair dancing and singing along while Katy Perry nodded her head to the music.

McCain earned a standing ovation as Bryan exclaimed, “Finally, it’s about time some endorphins got firin’ here!”

Cecil Ray took the stage to perform Leon Bridges’ “Beyond” and thoroughly impressed the judges, who sprung to their feet clapping and cheering following his performance.

At the end, however, only one contestant could make it through to the next round.

“Drake you’ve been down this road before to come back and tangibly see the growth is really special,” Bryan told him before delivering the unfortunate news. “Drake, you are not in our Top 24. We love you buddy. You’re worthy of being here.”

“Let this be the fuel to your fire,” Perry told him.

“Cecil, we see very, very interesting things in you and we’re gonna give you this shot,” Bryan revealed. “You’re in the Top 24.”

Click above to watch Drake McCain and Cecil Ray’s American Idol performances.

Idol returns to ABC next Sunday and Monday at 8/7 c for the celebrity duets round.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.