Ajii Hafeez (born June 6, 1996),[1] known mononymously as Ajii, was a contestant on Season 22 of American Idol.
Audition[]
Ajii auditioned in Los Angeles. He sang "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims. All three judges voted "yes", sending him to the next round.
Hollywood Round[]
Ajii was shown at Idol Arena, singing "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was subsequently seen in a montage of contestants who survived the round, alongside Kaibrienne, Nya, Kennedy Reid, Michael Rice, Ziggy, and Elleigh Marie. For his Showstopper performance, he sang "Too Close" by Alex Clare. At the Final Judgment, the judges told him that he did enough to become a Top 24 semifinalist.
Top 24 (Hawaii Round)[]
Ajii was mentored by Jelly Roll in Group 2. He sang "Higher" by Tems. He received enough votes to be considered "safe" for another week.
Top 20[]
Ajii sang "Like a Stone" by Audioslave. He did not receive enough votes to place amongst the Top 10 contestants, putting him in the Danger Zone. He then sang "Call Out My Name" by The Weeknd. The judges chose not to save him, thus eliminating him from the competition.
List of Performances[]
| Stage | Song | Artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | "Lose Control" | Teddy Swims | Advanced |
| Hollywood: Idol Arena | "Simple Man" | Lynyrd Skynyrd | Advanced |
| Showstopper Round | "Too Close" | Alex Clare | Top 24 |
| Top 24 (Hawaii) | "Higher" | Tems | Safe |
| Top 20 | "Like a Stone" | Audioslave | Wild Card |
| "Call Out My Name" | The Weeknd | Eliminated |
Trivia[]
- Ajii was born and raised in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, NYC, by parents who were both Pakistani immigrants.[2]
- At the Top 20 performance show, when Teddy Swims was a guest performer (singing "Lose Control"), he complimented Ajii for his audition performance of the same song—prior to Ryan Seacrest announcing Ajii was safe and next to perform.