Jimmie Allen returned to American Idol for a special homecoming performance.
On Sunday’s episode (April 4), the “This Is Us” crooner made a surprise appearance on Season 19 of the singing competition to join Idol hopeful, Alanis Sophia, for a duet of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born ballad “Shallow.”
As fans will recall, Allen competed on Season 10 of American Idol in 2011. Despite having a short-lived turn after auditioning for the show in 2011, the “Best Shot” crooner offered Sophia some encouraging words of advice ahead of their performance.
“I feel like I tell everyone that wants to be a singer, Idol's one of the best ways to really assess your talent," Allen told her. “It’s a good mental toughness is super important on American Idol. Because if you get so wrapped up in how great everyone else sings, you can sometimes not deliver your best because you're worried about how great someone else is."
When asked what she loves about the Grammy-winning song, Sophia said, “This song is very emotionally driven and I love the lyrics and I just feel connected to it.”
Although Allen and Sophia’s performance received a standing ovation from judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, Sophia did receive some tough love for her underperformance in the presentation.
"I think just get in that headspace to where you know you own the stage," said Bryan. "I mean, your voice... Now, you've got to build on that character, and on owning the stage."
Photo: YouTube