Boise’s Zahm Forgets Lyrics on Idol; What Happens Next is Incredible

Boise's own Maddie Zahm punched her golden ticket on American Idol last week, but was she able to rise to the occasion under the pressure of Hollywood Week?

I can't put my finger on what it is, but there's just something about American Idol that makes it so easy to watch. It's like hanging out with an old friend that just moved back home after years of being away.  You pick up right where you left off.  That's exactly what watching Idol feels like.

The competition itself must feel a little like that to the contestants as well, because they started to crumble under the pressure of Hollywood Week's "group round" in a way identical to what happened during the first fifteen seasons. During group round, contestants sing with three to four fellow competitors.  The performances come together quickly and often at the price of giving up a good night's sleep.  Groups often disagree on everything from song choice to instrumentation to who sings what lyrics.

For some, it may the first time they're even hearing the song their performing so it's no surprise that a lot of contestants forget their lyrics on performance day.  Based on past judges panels, that's been a huge Idol sin, so my heart broke for Maddie when she forgot the lyrics to the Bee Gee's "Staying Alive."

That was until I watched what happened next and it was pretty darn awesome! If you missed Maddie perform on "Group Night," check out the performance in the video in this post!