Chayce Beckham Wows on 'American Idol' Finale With Chris Stapleton's 'Fire Away' [Watch]
Carena Liptak Published: May 24, 2021
American Idol Top 3 finalist Chayce Beckham showcased his raspy vocals with a cover of Chris Stapleton's "Fire Away" during the show's three-hour finale on Sunday night (May 23.) Beckham chose "Fire Away" for his contribution to the "Hometown Song" segment of the episode.
Originally included on Stapleton's 2015 major-label debut album, Traveller, "Fire Away" conjures up imagery of world-weary sadness and the troubled resilience of a narrator who can't resist giving in to a relationship, even though he knows it's doomed to end in pain.
Stapleton's music video for the song puts an even more heartbreaking spin on the song's message, following a man and woman as they fall in love. Soon, the couple's happy early days devolve into hard times, as the woman begins to be overtaken by mental illness and attempts suicide multiple times.
Ever since the Idol judges met Beckham, he's caught their attention for his authentic delivery of hard-hitting songs. He comes honestly by that grit: As he explained earlier in the show's season, he came to Idol after a difficult year that ultimately led to a precipitous relationship with alcohol and a near-fatal car crash.
During his time on the show, Beckham demonstrated his flair for both country, Americana and rock. He covered the likes of Zac Brown Band and Tyler Childers, and Stapleton is evidently a favorite for the raspy up-and-comer: Beckham performed the singer's current single, "You Should Probably Leave," not once but twice on the American Idol stage.
In the Sunday night finale, Beckham furthered his country connections by duetting with star guest Luke Combs on the latter's hit "Forever After All." However, he didn't entirely go country for the finale: For the "Judges' Pick" segment, Beckham covered the Beatles' "Blackbird," and he reprised his earlier performance of Ed Sheeran's "Afterglow," too.
Beckham was one of three remaining contestants vying for the title of American Idol Season 19 champ, along with soulful pop performers Willie Spence and Grace Kinstler. At the end of the night, he did, indeed, earn the big win.
The show's final episode of the season also featured performances from special guests of all genres: In addition to Combs, Mickey Guyton took the stage to perform her song "Black Like Me" with Top 10 finalist Alyssa Wray. All three judges, including Luke Bryan, were slated to perform during the finale, too.
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Source: Chayce Beckham Wows on 'American Idol' Finale With Chris Stapleton's 'Fire Away' [Watch]
Filed Under: American Idol, Chris Stapleton