Chayce Beckham Covers ZBB, Chris Stapleton on ‘American Idol’
American Idol Top 4 finalist Chayce Beckham returned to the country genre — not once, but twice — on Sunday night’s episode (May 16.) He kicked things off with a tender cover of Zac Brown Band‘s 2010 hit, “Colder Weather,” early on in the show.
It was the first of three songs that Beckham was scheduled to perform Sunday night, falling into the “Personal Idol” song category. Each of the show’s four finalists sang three songs, including a duet chosen by the episode’s mentor, pop singer-songwriter Finneas.
Much like Zac Brown Band, Beckham has shown both country roots and a penchant for genre-blending over the course of his time introducing himself to his listeners. In his various Idol performances, Beckham has dipped into the country and Americana genres, covering artists like Tyler Childers. However, he’s also demonstrated impressive musical versatility, duetting with Incubus rocker Brandon Boyd as well as performing a song by Bob Marley & the Wailers.
“What you need to realize is you’re here because you’re real,” judge Luke Bryan commented after Beckham’s ZBB cover. “Everything that you give us feels real. And that can take you so far…Being genuine and authentic, people love that. And that’s why you’ve made it to this point.”
Beckham continued to delve into country music as Sunday’s episode continued, performing Chris Stapleton‘s newest single, “You Should Probably Leave.” The song comes off of Stapleton’s Starting Over album, which he released in 2020, and Beckham previously covered it on the American Idol stage during an episode that aired in March.
Beckham has an increased opportunity to show off his country chops in the final episodes of the season, as country contestant Caleb Kennedy exited the show this week after a controversial video surfaced. Beckham’s original single, “23,” also recently dropped, quickly climbing to the top of the iTunes country charts.
At the end of Sunday night’s episode, Beckham was named as one of the Top 3 contestants, alongside Willie Spence and Grace Kinstler. The three performers will vie for the title of American Idol Season 19 champ next Sunday, May 23 when the season concludes with a three-hour finale. American Idol airs on Sunday nights on ABC.
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