Luke Bryan Dances With a Booty-Shaking 'American Idol' Hopeful [Watch]
Carena Liptak Published: February 22, 2021
American Idol coaches Lionel Richie and Katy Perry were seeing double during the show's latest episode on Sunday night (Feb. 21), as fellow coach Luke Bryan hopped across his desk for a round of dueling booty-shaking with a contestant named Yurisbel.
"You look a little bit like a Latin Luke," Perry observed to the Idol hopeful, who hails from Cuba by way of Miami, Fla. Yurisbel then took off his glasses to reveal his chocolate-brown eyes, which -- combined with his brown hair and goatee scruff -- did, indeed, bear a passing resemblance to the country superstar.
But the most striking similarity between the two men didn't emerge until Yurisbel launched into his audition performance of Pitbull's 2014 dance hit "Fireball," complete with a level of booty-shaking that rivaled Bryan's own famous onstage moves.
Less than a minute after he started performing, all three judges were on their feet, dancing along to Yurisbel's raspy rendition of "Fireball." But Bryan seemed especially mesmerized, slowly hoisting himself over the judges' desk and onto the performance floor before falling to his knees and lurching towards Yurisbel in time to the music.
"I'm in a trance! I'm in a trance. He's got me," Bryan exclaimed, as he leapt to his feet and joined the Idol hopeful in a bout of extreme booty-shaking that seemed to push even the seasoned country heartthrob's hips to to their breaking point. As he danced, Bryan had a pained expression on his face, as if he'd pulled a muscle.
"I need a Fireball shot," Bryan admitted at the conclusion of the performance. "I kinda feel like I'm back -- a little bit -- I'm back touring!"
Though she was impressed by his enthusiasm and the resemblance he bears to her fellow coach, Perry ultimately voted against Yurisbel moving forward. Fortunately for the hip-shaking ingenue, the two other Idol judges were in his corner: Richie and Bryan each returned an emphatic "yes," meaning Yurisbel will proceed to the next round of the competition.
See Country American Idol Singers, Then + Now:
Filed Under: American Idol, Luke Bryan