Olivier Bergeron poured his heart and soul into his Top 24 performance on American Idol, delivering an emotion-filled rendition of “I Am Not Okay” by Jelly Roll — all while the genre-bending superstar watched from the front row, smiling and singing along.
Top 24: Olivier Bergeron Performs Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay” On American Idol
The 22-year-old truck driver from a small village in New Brunswick took the stage at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii for the Season 23 Top 24 round, wowing the judges with his powerful, rock-infused vocals.
“It’s very hard to be a dreamer where I’m from,” the aspiring singer from Kedgwick explained ahead of his performance. “It’s an emergency. I need to be a singer. That’s the only thing I can do. I just want to show to everyone in my hometown that when you believe in something, it’s possible.”
Wearing shorts and a white t-shirt with a black sweater vest, Olivier Bergeron went on to deliver an amazing cover of “I Am Not Okay” by Jelly Roll that nearly brought all the Idol judges and Jelly Roll to tears.
Jelly Roll Praises Olivier’s Vulnerable Delivery Of The Song
Following his performance of “I Am Not Okay,” Jelly Roll praised the French-speaking singer for his raw and vulnerable delivery of the country hit.
“You did great!” Jelly Roll stated. “Listen, I love everything about ’em. I love how raw you are [and] I know what it’s like to be untrained and overwhelmed and just sing it from the bottom of my soul with every part of me shaking. I see it and feel it on you. To be a kid that hardly speaks English, to be coming over here and kicking this much butt already. I am a big fan, and I am your family. That’s why I’m in the family and friend section right now.”
Idol Judges Compliment His Shocking Performance
Carrie Underwood admitted that each time Olivier Bergeron takes the stage, he shocks America with a better performance.
“I feel like you have grown so much already. Every time you take the stage, you surprise us, and we love being on that journey with you,” Underwood gushed. “Keep pushing, keep going forward. Get more of that confidence. Be like, I deserve to be here. This is my audience right now. Take control of that because you’ve got it in here. Very great performance.”
Luke Bryan also complimented Olivier’s growth while giving him some advice on getting a better stage presence. “I think naturally you’re a little quiet and timid. Get some angst and rage going on up there. Build on that and work on that, and even develop this character, but you’re doing a great job, and you’re growing your tail off,” Bryan said.
Lionel Richie then chimed in, applauding his vocal talents. “This shyness about you, and I want you to know that the second half of that song, hallelujah. It was just amazing to see you blossom right in the middle of that song,” Richie added. “What you have to know is in the future, come out with that attitude. As soon as you open your mouth, don’t hesitate, but you are standing on the stage with some amazing voices, and you held your own. You held your own.”
Turned Heads Throughout His American Idol Journey Thus Far
Olivier Bergeron first turned heads with a cover of Jelly Roll’s “Save Me” during his impressive Idol audition, which earned praise from the judges despite a language barrier.
Throughout Olivier’s journey on American Idol, he has delivered jaw-dropping performances that have stunned Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. He channeled his inner rockstar with an epic performance of “Like A Stone” by Audioslave and “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons.
Olivier Bergeron has quickly emerged as one of the standout contestants on Idol, with a promising future in music regardless of where he finishes in the competition — though he’s a strong contender to be named the next American Idol.
American Idol airs every Sunday and Monday at 8/7c on ABC.
