Entertainment

Dalton Shines In The 'American Idol' Top Four

by Jessica Molinari

Well, American Idol fans, the end is near. Like one week away near. The nearly 15-year-old show is coming to an end and it's getting real — not just for us viewers, but for the contestants themselves. The good news is, the closer we get to the end of the series, the better the talent becomes. That was never more true than with Season 15 hopeful Dalton Rapattoni. The 20-year-old is known as the edgy punk rocker on this season of Idol, but tonight he showed a whole new side of himself. Rapattoni unveiled a freer, more celabratory side of himself that we have yet to see before and it's a great look for him.

Rapattoni has earned a reputation as the tortured punk rocker on this season of Idol. With thousands of fans fawning over him on social media, it's clear that this persona works for him. But even the most tortured of performers show the brighter, fun side of themselves from time to time and Rapattoni did that tonight. He let go when he hit the stage and just had fun. His performance of Blue October's "Calling You" was a beautiful ode to his hometown and proved that there is a whole other side of Rapattoni we have yet to see.

At this point in the game, the contestants' fates are all but sealed. There are obviously front-runners out of the remaining four and it's unclear if Rapattoni is one of them. The Top 3 will be announced later on in the night and it's quite possible that the punk rocker's name is not on that list. If that's the case, he at least went out on a strong note. But if his name is on the card and Rapattoni does advance to the Top 3, he's entering it the best way possible — with a great performance behind him and a new, positive spirit following him around.

Image: Michael Becker/FOX