Zoanette Johnson, Semi-finals ~ American Idol 2013 Circle of Life

Zoanette Johnson Circle of Life performance at American Idol 2013 Semi-Finals
Zoanette Johnson is a native of Liberia, West Africa.

[@planetci.]

who’s here in 2024??

[@EspadaTV]

Me

[@ishaan1990]

Meee

[@milomilo4726]

japan!!

[@emmanuel6350]

Me

[@urhypeboy]

🙋‍♂

[@aurorahalili9239]

This is an epic performance of an americal idol contestant!!! She will be remembered forever! She is good and it was so epic!

[@scottyray12]

your kidding right? This was the worst thing ever. I actually watch this just to laugh. I mean this is so awful.

[@bstarrps]

scottyray12 ur miserable with your life ent??

[@urhypeboy]

Too bad she only made it to this stage for the ratings. She was never meant to go far that year 😂

[@t.m.6588]

Best american idol performance I've ever seen

[@urhypeboy]

Then you haven't seen much of them.

[@nikkiray9]

dang the beginning she took me to Africa..

[@malu1890]

she did!!! I agree with you! I felt like I was watching the Broadway musical The Lion King again, shes brilliant!

[@nikkiray9]

forealz..

[@detronyx]

Yeah, but she didn't even bother to learn the Zulu words. It sounds like she picked it up by ear.

[@clarissasheri3194]

She grew soooo much vocally since her audition

[@Shmiguelly]

I don't care if it's flat. I fucking loved this. Especially the last bits. I could watch this all day.

[@zena1212]

I love Nicki. She's real.

[@Papichulo29ful]

i know ! first person to stand up. real recognize real

[@JulieDelahooke]

it better be opposite day in your land

[@Papichulo29ful]

Julie Dee might be .....

[@Courtneynolen1]

This is absolutely awful. She completely ruined the song, jesus.

[@AwesomeElias]

better then what you could do.

[@Kaz3rOth]

Singing is more than hitting the right notes Courtney. I agree it sounded awful vocally but it didn't ruin the song. The way she presented it does so much justice to the message of the song!

[@Courtneynolen1]

Alden Lee Chung Zhenn yeah im fully aware of that, but i still didnt enjoy the presentation. anyone can put heart & soul into a song and still ruin it.

[@saimiyakazawa4894]

I agree with you, this was just bad. The lion king was my childhood and the song was one of my favorites till this version entered my life. The disney stars sang it better.

[@ralfsolorzano9426]

Sai Miyakazawa are you serious? really? this is amazing, when you sing like her we can talk, in the meantime shut the hell up

[@188Nikki]

I actually love her performances. Love the power she put in it...

[@ninosimone]

BEAUTIFUL VOICE ,,,BEAUTIFUL ENERGY...BEAUTIFUL ZOANETTE. POSITIVITY WILL ALWAYS BE BEAUTIFUL.

[@RNLee]

Damn...I can't help but agree with the comments, but she does look like Rafiki.

[@GymSwimRal]

Haha😂😂😂😂so true

[@Markalanharman]

If they would have arranged this song two keys higher, she would have been able to sing more of it in tune and in her range.

[@lucasalcantara3627]

This is far from flat. This is more than epic!!!!!!

[@snareskillz]

it is definitely flat

[@malu1890]

I agree with you Lucas. This was amazing.

[@KingpierreJ]

It was a little pitchy but she still did great!!

[@bluesky5384]

This isn't as bad as I remembered. It wasn't amazing but it's actually better than these boring finalists on idol 22.

[@MrGiiss]

NICKI MINAJ IS HILARIOUS HAHAHAHA

[@francishomerbalaaldia111]

Still going back to this performance every year! This is unforgettable! ❤

[@noerutajiri8859]

That performance surely gave me chills. xD

[@fuckenmike]

After watching the lion king live performances..... this was pretty horrible!

[@MiniKonstii]

She doesn't compare at all, her singing doesn't suit the song.

[@rubenharo250]

fuckenmike You got to admit, the performances you saw really build up momentum. Do not judge in a different context. And MiniKonstii, you are talking sh--, pardon.

[@fuckenmike]

no way!! her vocals were terrible in this? listen to the control and the dynamics of Buyi Zama (australian cast rafiki). Anyone with ears knows this is ridiculously horrible.

[@MiniKonstii]

I don't reckon I'm talking shit. I admit, she is a strong singer, but she sings this all wrong.

[@Vibewithbreia]

fuckenmike That your opinion. ....I think she did awsome scence it her background but still do you know Africn music..?! Because u might not know tht she Liberian So it her background music ....😄 still its ur opinion No hate😄😔

[@GnarlsBarkley123]

I vote her the next Rafiki for The Lion King on Broadway.

[@adeynuriaali3874]

Hahaha

[@malu1890]

he2tazzy4u I totally agree with u.

[@koolkids429]

Those background singers are like "are we really singing this?" She did that tho.

[@TheEric0009]

For the people saying that this isnt good, I'd love to see any of you get on a stage on national TV and have that much passion, and energy and sing as good as she did. She did an amazing job.

[@twiwonder]

She is terrible. Just because you can belt, doesn't mean you have the voice. She's flying around from one key to the next.

[@Neuroneos]

About 40% of what she sings aren't notes.

[@TheSammy58]

That's just how good Zoanette is.

[@Fennecfoxey]

I don't see why everybody is bitching people like this are amazing :D

[@JairusJames]

I agree!

[@DavionAnferneeHeron]

I also agree!

[@oFlashoPoetryo]

I think the thing that annoyed me the most about this performance was the fact that Mariah Carey did not stand up. And she had a big habit of doing this. It is not a matter of people deserving and not deserving a round of applause but Mariah had this ridiculous thing about her as if she were some queen and like it was very belittling and quite honestly annoying. Now I know she is a diva and she has sooo many accolades but so do some of the other judges. She really needs to come off of her high horse and stop acting all high and mighty. That's why I didn't watch this season because she made me so angry with how she was acting.

[@lucecita19]

She said she didn´t stand up at the end of most performances because usually the dresses and skirts that she weared were too tight and she was afraid that the ziper could collspse or something in the middle of the show

[@oFlashoPoetryo]

That's her fault then, why go on a television show wearing something that you can barely move in...yet again another reason to dislike her. Plenty of other judges made sure they wore something that was comfortable. And there was plenty of times she wasn't wearing something that tight and STILL didn't stand, just the way she delivered her critiques and tried to sound like she was above the other judges it really made me not like her anymore. I used to love her now I don't anymore.

[@lucecita19]

I feel you. But now that she´s getting older, she want to wear tight clothes to feel young.

[@oFlashoPoetryo]

Lol Mariah Carey is a fossil

[@oFlashoPoetryo]

No Mariah Carey is 43...that makes her a fossil lol how she looks has nothing to do with it, she is 43 so she is old. And Beyoncé is by far more successful than Mariah and I gauruntee you if Beyoncé were a judge on the show even she wouldn't have acted as snooty as Mariah. If you watched the entire show then you would have noticed all of the jabs she threw at Nicki for no reason. Just because Nicki is a rapper or has not hit the level success as she has gives her no right to act so uptight. And like I said before on another video I used to love Mariah but as a judge on this show Ive grown to kind of hate her because of how she acted. Diva is no excuse you have to be humble and stop acting like youre royalty.

[@DavionAnferneeHeron]

Okay I know being on pitch is a big factor but it didn't really phase me that she was maybe off a little. She has such an interesting voice that people are not use to and I like it. It's like alcohol, not everyone has a taste for it. I really like her style and how she does this song. I get chills every time I listen to this video. Great job.

[@MrSoulshock44]

she wasn't pitch perfect, but she SANG that song idgaf

[@jyellow19]

I personally don't think she's all there far as her voice. But she killed this! I think she will be perfect for musicals! Seriously

[@malu1890]

Im sure she'll be awsome in musicals too, she really sounded like the lady from the musical The Lion King :)

[@desteneemsp2389]

​@@malu1890 the lion king opening isn't even in swahili it's in zulu

[@Ornacia29]

At 3:25 zoanette looks over at Mariah and says "you better stand up bitch" lol

[@christianchancellor5270]

WOW! this was an amazing performance and one of my favorites in American Idol history. So much emotion and power!

[@Compootor]

I thought her performance here was a little flat, and definitely not her best work, but it's such a lovely song. What really irked me was that she didn't seem to bother with learning the African Lyrics for the iconic beginning. Seriously, there's no big "P" sound in there.

[@detronyx]

Yeah, "Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba" (which is Zulu, btw) sounds nothing like "Ahhhhh supenah baga eetchee baboh" (which is what it sounded like when she said it).

[@TheFlyingPiemanCorps]

I kind of think it needs to rougher, kind of more guttural you know? not too guttural, just guttural enough to shake you a little

[@Prolicity]

Kasatka Tilikum If you listen to the original Lion King, not the Broadway version, you'll hear that it sounds like that. So don't blame her for not singing the Broadway version of the so g

[@detronyx]

shadowmoonkitsune True, but it's not that hard to look up/research the lyrics of a song, and it is especially important to do so when they are in another language.

[@Prolicity]

Kasatka Tilikum True. :) I just like to look at the benefit of the doubt.

[@stwaters1147]

The most unforgettable performance of this particular season! Amazing!!

[@urhypeboy]

Wrong. Candice's Lovesong? Kree's Up To The Mountain? Angie's Set Me Free? 🙄

[@stylersswiftie2322]

@@urhypeboythis is still better, especially her national anthem performance

[@crterjd8154]

@@urhypeboyuhmmm, yeah, no. This along with her first audition is the most unforgettable.

[@urhypeboy]

Too bad she only made it to this stage for the ratings. She was never meant to go far that year 😂

[@juandavidcortesagudelo8634]

The best cover in the world, Bravo Zoanete. 🥰😍❤

[@JohnDoe-tg6yu]

I don't like what she did with this song ONE BIT. I think she sang it actually very badly...

[@KelvinKlink]

ela só usa uma respiraçao diferente pra cantar, gente. ela usa mais o ar e bom, canta no limite. mas eu achei o máximo!

[@missym2338]

His is Infact a really hard song to sing so I think she did pretty good x

[@Gowdo51]

This girl just murdered my childhood.

[@renaybrown2231]

LMBOOOO

[@renaybrown2231]

LMBOOOO

[@Sebastian-fc9go]

lmfaooo that was mean

[@frakiefaka7045]

So true man =))) lol

[@rubenharo250]

All children die...

[@jeimseutv]

WERK Zoanette, she did that, though the lyrics were wrong at the beginning, she did that, I TRULY ENJOYED THIS!!!!

[@victonaragalang818]

The microphone can fit in her mouth

[@PopT4rt69]

why the hell is Nicki Minaj a judge? in order to be a talent searching judge you should probably have talent yourself?

[@UlrichFirelordBOM]

***** Do some research. He's worked in the music industry for a long time. He may not have the talent to sing, but he knows talent.

[@roberthenryeller]

This is the very definition of "Going all in." Holding nothing back. Randy Jackson was right: To criticize this performance on technicalities is to miss the forest for the trees. This is about courage. This is about assertion, about self-esteem. And yes, it's about the truth about singing one's heart out, demanding to be heard. The most difficult thing about coming to anything with pre-conceived criteria is having the wisdom to know when to throw those criteria out. If we don't know when to do that, we may miss one of those infrequent opportunities to experience something that can truly move us to a different place. Perhaps Zonette is ridiculous. But she is sublimely ridiculous. She is a lesson. Nicki Minaj was the spot-on judge in this instance. Zonette served it.

[@aarmington]

its a damn shame she didnt win...this is why i dont watch idol!!!

[@bestyaya1000]

omg wow and inn her first audition who knew she could sing this good

[@crunchycookie06]

WOW! Her singing is just BEAUTIFUL!

[@JulieDelahooke]

i think she'd make a great rafiki in the broadway version of lion king :)

[@drlle_3349]

bitch im ten years late but your calling a woman a monkey is not kind.

[@marioencigna7565]

Nicki Minaj your words are just perfect for being Great in life you motivate me all the time luve you ♥

[@cassidy6957]

Love this song and love her voice

[@helio2922]

So sad the week after she made a mistake picking up such a bad song for her

[@SuperWeatherdude]

Can hardly understand a word she's saying! She changes keys way too much and I can't even understand what she's saying at the beginning, like those aren't even words. Plus her voice and the whole production is WAY too over dramatized. I have nothing against Zoanette but honestly her voice just isn't that good. Very surprised she even made it through in her audition. Jennifer Hudson's version was WAY BETTER!!!

[@hannahduraiswamy9940]

I actually thought tht was good😅

[@AdcrofromTikTok]

Although too deep for Rafiki, she does a DAMN good job.HOWEVER, I could see her as one hell of a Killer Queen in We Will Rock You.

[@honestpitch7477]

I knew it the audition is scripted a lil, because this women can Sang, the range in the audition were crazy. She was only lack of training and this is the prove.

[@callmefluffy6291]

Okay, so for those of you who are going to say that I am a hater and that I can't say anything because I can't do better: I can sing very well (not professionally, it's just not my passion), and I am not a hater. I believe she stands for something noble. I must say that I did not like this performance. I love this song, but she butchered the notes and she got the words wrong. I don't think that this makes her any less of a person, I just expected a lot more from someone who would attempt to do this epic song. God Bless her and I hope she is happy, but maybe she should have either chosen another song to do or perhaps practiced more.

[@AndySaenz924]

I don’t know how she performed so well in front of the legendary Mariah Carey! I would be freaking out. I’m a huge fan of hers.

[@zarataylor3190]

Hey, cut her some slack! This song has a total key change, and she's a true alto. She may have some flat moments, and is sub-par compared to the broadway preformance. But unlike them, she isn't classically trained. That's raw vocal talent. She did suck at the pronunciation, but who cares about a few technical problems. Go zoanette!! Love

[@Welcome01213]

that was amazing!!! why does this not have more views!?!?!?!

[@eddieberry8872]

I must say as ridiculous as I think Zoanette is, she always entertained me. This was the perfect song choice for her. LMAO!!!! But yet I still enjoyed it. Good luck to you Zoanette in your future endeavors.

[@rosendocampos]

FOR EVERYONES WHOS HATING BE QUIET CAUSE SHE DID THE SONG JUSTICE:)

[@bluscorpion]

Nah, she needs to be singing something like Tina or Chaka Khan. Or upper register is diamond!

[@noirinmccarter1381]

I'd like to agree with everyone saying she chose the wrong song for her voice. But that very last note she hit? Rock. Hard rock would be a good place for her.

[@mezzogal]

was there a theme for this round? this is a very unlikely song for a competition.

[@joshualee5562]

Some notes were pitched and some notes just off but other than that I give her a 6 out of 10

[@Epiccool90]

Its really good just too bad nickiminaj always tries to steal everybodys attention

[@aarmington]

great job!!!....i really thought she could of taken it up a step or two to make it brighter and still been confortable for her!!

[@datboibutters]

This is realness.

[@Ashes2Ashes_Blush2Blush]

Either Ryan is super short or she is very tall with the heels on too. :p

[@jiggalo2]

Did she say she 20...Lmao, I wanna c a birth certificate

[@Mr9727]

I literally stopped watching after 2 seconds of hearing her

[@basketballgod2342]

Why in the hell does this have only 320 likes, including mine?

[@JMxE15]

She got voted off after this performance, seriously ?

[@gerardbarbier5823]

THis is as painfull to watch than to lesson to! what a joke!!!

[@SergeyArmavir]

не везде попадает в ноты да и низкая тональность-траурно.

[@joshriley9851]

shes not even pronouncing the african words correctly.

[@llanasworld1705]

The back up singers faces tho 😂😂😭😅

[@TheMrBartosz]

after watching the musical this is very very very bad

[@1cannedpeaches]

she is an amazing performer

[@nialay3592]

she picked the wrong song but she has a beautiful voice and she did an awesome job >3

[@steffondye93]

Just shut up

[@zuckbamazuri]

even after a while. Zoanette performance is truly remarkable!

[@jorgechavarria4799]

To this day, it's my favorite cover of Circle of Life. She did it with so much passion. God bless her ❤❤❤❤

[@FreedomLifex3]

her perormance mannerisms REALLY remind me of Fantasia! does anybody else see that?

[@malu1890]

I do. She should be on Broadway as Fantasia is :)

[@torycrow1]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OKLAHOMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@toastieee1]

Her voice is so powerful. She should do opera plays I apologize. There is a place for this young lady. I just wasn't expecting all that in the auditions. The title said funny auditions so that is what I thought it was at the time. One thing I am able to do is and I did was eat my words. Much love to this women and her drive and blessings.

[@toastieee1]

I just erased my negative comment. I do not want to make anyone feel bad.

[@carriesradshawl6050]

Zoanette was made for broadway!!

[@ralfsolorzano9426]

I have no words to describe this... Nicki was surprised

[@hannahbrandon1]

A case of great singer, wrong song... Ugh.

[@jennyglynn-va]

Oh jesus christ this is bad.

[@Alexzander1989]

Damn.... um.... I did not expect that... =/

[@darlenesilva5853]

Beautiful

[@ishaan1990]

Whos here because of tiktok ❤❤❤

[@carlosvidal1907]

Well I think she was brilliant ._:

[@commentXrate]

its like she gonna blow up xD love her.

[@tysam5875]

She deadass ate this lol

[@mena6022702]

I thought this was the funniest thing

[@Nuunu88]

HELL NO !!!!! Just fucking NO !

[@jeremycollins6083]

Makes me want to cry

[@daejonsims2245]

she not the best but she not bad >>

[@ztraslay8788]

jennifer hudson was better

[@scrubsidiot]

its not hard to learn the african lyrics so why didn't she?

[@malu1890]

She has no obligation of learning it, everyone sings that part wrong. Just because u know it doesnt mean other people have the obligation of studying it to say two lines of a song, sh ppb didnt even have time for that, get over it.

[@Ashes2Ashes_Blush2Blush]

She looks older than 20

[@WhittyHutton]

I loved her!!! I wonder where she is