American Idol season 22 contestant Jack Blocker has made it to the Top 3, and he will win the whole competition. Jack, a 25-year-old graphic designer from Dallas, Texas, auditioned for the judges–Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan–in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s now advanced all the way to the Top 3, along with his fellow contestants Abi Carter, a 21-year-old musician from Indio, California, and Will Moseley, a 23-year-old musician from Hazlehurst, Georgia.
The three-hour American Idol season 22 finale will be a spectacular event. Katy, Luke, and Lionel will take the stage, in addition to the final mentor of the season, Jon Bon Jovi. Also, an all-star line-up of music artists will perform, including American Idol season 14 winner Nick Fradiani, New Kids on the Block, Jason Mraz, Hootie & the Blowfish, CeCe Winans, Wynonna Judd, Seal, Cody Johnson, Bishop Briggs, and James Bay. Finally, the winner of American Idol season 22 will be crowned, and it will be Jack Blocker, for the following reasons.
It’s shocking to imagine because he’s now made it to the American Idol season 22 finale, but Jack originally didn’t receive a golden ticket to Hollywood. At his audition, he sang a spirited rendition of his original song, “I Was Wrong.” Jack’s voice was incredible, and he had raw talent, but he had a habit of making faces when he sang certain notes.
When Jack was finished singing, Katy told him that he had a “good-sounding voice,” but he had some bad habits with the way that he was delivering the song. She said that the performance felt “put-on,” and he was really stretching to catch the notes, when he could just sing the notes instead. Katy thought that Jack could’ve been a little bit more relaxed about it.
Lionel told Jack that he was such an artist, but they, as judges, knew his competition. However, Luke said that he thought that Paul Simon’s audition would’ve looked like Jack’s. He liked it and said that it was different. Luke voted yes. Katy said no to Jack for American Idol, but she told him that she appreciated his artistry. Lionel also said no, which meant that Jack didn’t receive a golden ticket to Hollywood. Luke was devastated, saying that he saw something in Jack. He couldn’t believe that Katy and Lionel had let him go, and he asked if they could bring him back in.
Luke then asked the crew to vote. Many of them raised their hands to give Jack votes of yes, which prompted Lionel to change his vote. Jack then received a golden ticket to Hollywood, ironically making the title of his song “I Was Wrong” come true for the judges. Jack gushed that he’d watched the show for a long time, and he’d never seen the vote flip like that. He said that it was pretty surreal.
Jack added that it was “always really cool just to have people in your corner, especially people that don’t know you very well, and are just kind of getting an impression of you for the first time.” Now that the whole American Idol season 22 season has passed, viewers have gotten to know Jack very well. It would be thrilling to see him win the whole competition after almost not even making it to Hollywood. Jack will win American Idol season 22 because America loves a Cinderella story.
Seeing Jack win over Katy and Lionel week after week has been wonderful. By the time he made it to the Top 24 Hawaii round, he earned a standing ovation from all of the judges, and his mentor, Jelly Roll, for his performance of “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves, Katy told him that he was relaxed and in the pocket, and was just himself. She appreciated the vocal risks that he took. It was exciting to see how Jack had turned around her opinion of him.
Previously, during Jack’s American Idol Hollywood Week Idol Arena performance of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” by Hank Williams, Katy said that she had to close her eyes during the performance because Jack was still making faces while he sang. However, because Jack took her advice, he was eventually able to win her over by singing in a more relaxed manner. Jack will win American Idol season 22 because he hasn’t only gained two new fans in Katy and Lionel, but across America as well.
Jack is a true artist who writes and performs his own original music. In fact, he performed an original song for his audition called “I Was Wrong,” while playing the guitar. Jack’s song had interesting lyrics and a catchy melody. It built to a chorus which showcased his vocal range. Luke saw the magic in Jack when he sang this song, which was why he fought for him to go to Hollywood.
Jack will win American Idol because he’s proven that he’s more than just a karaoke singer or a cover artist. He has so much talent, not only vocally, but also musically. When watching Jack perform, sometimes it doesn’t feel like a competition anymore, but his own concert. Jack is a songwriter and musician who has the potential to make a lifelong career in the music industry.
While some of Jack’s fellow American Idol season 22 contestants have allowed their nerves to get the best of them on the live shows, appearing timid or forgetting their lyrics, Jack has been consistently great. One of his best performances was “Always On My Mind” by Willie Nelson. Not only did Jack convey the heartfelt emotion of the song, but he was technically perfect as well. He never hits a bad note, proving that he is a musical master.
When Jack took the song up an octave in the second half, he showed not only that he knows how to hold the audience in the palm of his hand, but that he has impressive vocal range. He was captivating. Jack will win American Idol season 22 becausehe’s always been one of the best singers in the competition.
Throughout American Idol season 22, Jack has sung many different genres of music from varied artists, and all of them blew the judges and audience away. While some contestants were rattled by the show’s theme nights, Jack has embraced them all, and had fun making each song his own. Jack has sung so many different songs throughout the season, including “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” by Jim Croce, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Bob Dylan, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Believe” by Cher, “Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard, “one and Only” by Adele, and “Nobody’s Fool” by Brad Paisley.
“Space Oddity” by David Bowie was one of Jack’s most impressive performances. Not only did it highlight his vocal range, but also his ability to tell the story of a song. He’s chosen an eclectic mix of songs and artists that few contestants could undertake so successfully. Jack is a true professional who will win American Idol because he’s so talented, no matter what he does.
During Jack’s Top 24 performance of “Rainbow,” Lionel called him “a storyteller’s storyteller.” Jack has sung everything from “Blinding Lights” to “One and Only,” but it was his mind-blowing rendition of Cher’s dance song “Believe” that really set him apart from his fellow American Idol season 22 contestants. It was an unexpected choice, which made everyone take notice of him.
Jack turned “Believe” upside down, transforming it into a ballad, which he played on the guitar. He breathed new life into the melody and the lyrics. Jack made the song new again, and it seemed as though it were his own song. Jack is unique and different, and he stands out in the competition because of it. Jack deserves to win American Idol season 22 because he works his magic with every one of his songs.
During Hollywood Week, Jack said that after he received his criticism during his audition about his facial expressions, he watched himself in the mirror. This was important because he’d admitted to Katy during his audition that he’d never received criticism such as hers before. Instead of getting defensive like some American Idol contestants have in the past, Jack graciously accepted Katy’s critique, took it into consideration, and worked to improve. Throughout the weeks, it’s been so great to see Jack working hard to tone down his facial expressions and appear more relaxed on stage.
It’s important for music artists to be able to work with others and take direction. There was a marked difference between Jack’s audition and his latest performance of “Space Oddity” on American Idol Disney Night. The bad habits that he’d developed were gone, and he looked like a professional artist. Jack will win American Idol because America likes to see humble people be rewarded for their hard work. He deserves recognition for how he’s grown in the competition.
Jack’s smile lights up the American Idol stage. He’s very sweet, and has sincere interactions with the audience, which often includes his wife. He’s very endearing to watch, especially when it’s clear that he’s proud of his performances. Jack is a mature contestant and performer, who makes connections with people every time he takes the stage. He’s confident without being cocky, which makes him very likable.