Warning! The following contains spoilers for the latest episode of American Idol**. Read at your own risk.**
It was another great night of American Idol, which is to be expected at this point. The top 20 contestants all gave solo performances, and several contestants put on a show that would've won the competition in any other season. Just when it seemed like the best of the night had come, the show ended on the humble Wade Cota, who brought the house down with his powerful and tear-jerking performance of Kodaline's "All I Want."
The passion in his voice was enough to get a tear or two rolling, but who could've held back when Ryan Seacrest prompted Cota's mother to come onto the stage? As mentioned, Wade and his mother have a strong bond rooted largely in the trauma they endured throughout his youth. Now they're soaking in applause on the American Idol stage, and the world just feels so wholesome because of it.
Wade's harrowing tale has made him a fan favorite in Season 17 of American Idol, and his strong and raspy voice has made him one of the few truly unique voices capable of winning it all. He struggled a bit in the first batch of Hollywood rounds, although after a strong performance in Hawaii and his latest performance Wade is on a hot streak. If he keeps giving performances like this, he could even outlast Alejandro in this competition!
Of course, Wade Cota's anxiety has gotten the better of him in American Idol once before, and it's not impossible that it could surface again. Cota couldn't remember his lines for a song once, and has made a bad song choice before. That's nothing that hasn't happened on American Idol before, of course, but as he looks increasingly likely to survive onto the top 14, Cota will have to ensure he keeps bringing that "A" game.
Of course, audiences can be more forgiving than judges, and any mistakes Wade Cota may make he can always make up for with his wholesome humble nature and earnest personality. He's got the biggest heart of any of American Idol's performers so far, and his raw talent opposed to professional training gives him that edge of some of the more technically proficient performers. Suffice to say if he wins it all, there probably won't be many upset by it.
Of course each contestant still has a ways to go before anyone is crowned champion of American Idol. Next up is the duets, and then things get moving pretty fast. The 14 contestants will drop down to 10 in a week's time, and it's going to be a heartbreaking time for viewers. Why can't all 20 contestants just get contracts right now, and we call it a season?
Season 17 of American Idol rages on at ABC, with new episodes airing Sundays and Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more on the season, check out which former show superstar went undercover and made an appearance in the new season.
