Georgia Waitress Megan Danielle Secures Spot In Top 5 After Impressive ‘Idol’ Performance
The 21-year-old remains an ‘American Idol’ frontrunner.
Megan Danielle; Photo by ABC/Eric McCandless
Megan Danielle captured the hearts of American Idol viewers when she shared a special moment with Lauren Daigle during her memorable audition. She continued to leave a lasting impression on fans throughout the season, and her latest solo performance was yet again, another standout moment.
The 21-year-old, who works as a server in Douglasville, Georgia, was nearly left speechless when she learned that Alanis Morissette was on hand as a mentor and guest judge.
“When I figured out Alanis was the mentor, I was in shock because her music is so cool,” Danielle admitted.
She Was Thrilled To Work With Morissette
For her performance, she chose to sing Morissette’s “Head Over Feet.”
“I love the lyrics… [I] connect with this song just because my boyfriend is amazing. I know all girlfriends say that, but he just made me believe in who I am and he made me start loving myself more and when he came into my life I was like ‘this is too good to be true,’” she explained.
“Your lyrics literally explain it all,” Danielle admitted before Morissette elaborated on the lyrics, “the ambivalence of you’re being kinder to me than some parts of me are to my own self.”
“Head Over Feet”
“I’d like to hear it a little less beautifully, if you don’t mind,” Morissette joked, adding, “Intimacy is terrifying whether that be with an audience or our own selves. Maybe less performing it, and more you having a conversation with me, your boyfriend, your own self…”
Morissette praised Danielle for being “very vulnerable.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” she told her.
Donning a floral dress, Megan Danielle put a country twist on “Head Over Feet,” a track that appears on Morissette’s iconic Jagged Little Pill album.
Joined by a full band, she belted out the lyrics, allowing her powerhouse vocals to shine.
Watch
“I’m head over feet, baby!” Danielle shouted from the stage following her performance.
The judges, including Luke Bryan, and guest judges Morissette and Ed Sheeran, had nothing but great feedback for Megan Danielle.
“You went less beautiful than you went this way and then you went more beautiful this way… So God bless. Just really soulful and really expressing that ambivalence of you know I’m used to being hard on myself and yet here’s this person across from me loving me so well and just expressing that really authentically,’ Morissette said, adding, “God bless you, gorgeous!”
Sheeran was mesmerized by her performance. He said, “I genuinely for a second forgot we were on American Idol, I felt like I was watching like a classic singer from the ‘60s or something. It’s like your tone is incredible and it’s very, very unique. I’m new to this, so you have obviously done this every week and impressed people every week. I was really, really impressed. Luke told me though before you came on, he gave me a nudge and was just like ‘watch this.’”
Bryan said he enjoyed watching the guest judges’ reactions to her performance.
“I was like get ready, you ain’t heard this before and that’s what’s so cool… First of all, I’m just loving watching these two react to you guys giving it back to them. I’m nudging Ed and I’m like ‘this girls got a tone and a thing.’ And the thing about that song is you really just laid it back in the pocket and you made it real I guess inviting, right?”
Morissette chimed in again. “We talked about that, basically, that a lot of artists feel like that they have to give it 120%. We forget the fact that we can lay back, and the audience is with us. So, they’ll meet us more than halfway.
“I mean, you nailed that, and your voice makes that happen naturally. So good job,” Bryan told her.
Duet With Colin Stough
Also during Sunday’s episode, Danielle also joined Colin Stough for a country version of Sheeran’s “Dive.” Click HERE to watch.
At the end of the episode, it was revealed that Megan Danielle earned a spot in the coveted Top 5. She will return to the American Idol stage next week for Disney Week.
Ed Sheeran and Alanis Morissette are temporarily replacing Katy Perry and Lionel Richie while they are in England performing as part of the Coronation Celebration for King Charles III.
“I can’t wait to guide you through this stage of the competition and career and yeah this is the first time I’ve done this on American Idol, I can’t wait to take the iconic American Idol stage,” Sheeran previously shared. “Mostly, I’m just looking forward to meeting all of you and talking through life and music and I hope you’re having a great time and I’ll see you very, very soon. Lots of love.”
“I am so excited to be mentoring and hearing your interpretations of my songs. I can’t wait to hear them and surprise I’m going to be guest judging with Luke as well. So I can’t wait to see you,” Morissette previously added.
Perry and Richie made a brief appearance during Idol with a video from Windsor Castle.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
