Season 23 of American Idol kicked off last week in grand fashion. Carrie Underwood made her much-anticipated debut alongside mainstays Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan on the judge’s panel. Not only did Underwood knock it out of the park as a judge, so did a handful of auditions. Sonny Tennet and Thunderstorm Artis are just two of the notable singers who flexed their vocal prowess in episode one.
On tonight’s episode (Auditions, Part 2), we’ll be gifted with a new batch of auditions, headlined by Filo and Brajawn Upshaw. The action kicks off at 8/7c on ABC, and you can keep up with all the audtions and viral moments with American Songwriter’s Season 23 Live Blog below.
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(Photo by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
Sophie Powers Leaves Judges Speechless With NSFW Original Song
Well, Sophie Powers currently holds the title of most unique audition on season 23 of American Idol. The 20-year-old arrived decked out head-to-toe in pink, inexplicably sporting a nasal strip. Promising a “tearjerker,” the Canadian hyperpop singer-songwriter promptly launched into a song seemingly about a pet reptile named George. Not lingering on the lizard for long, Powers delivered a deadpan original song, “STFU.”
Lionel Richie declared himself “mortified,” while Luke Bryan suggested she change the lyrics to, “Luke, shut the f— up” for the benefit of his wife, Caroline.
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Either way, Powers won’t be taking her own lyrical advice anytime soon as she heads to Hollywood.
Carrie Underwood Admits She Was Wrong As Mikaela Bautista Punches Her Ticket to Hollywood
Behavioral tech Mikaela Bautista didn’t quite convince Carrie Underwood with her cover of Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You.”
“Maybe you’re thinking too hard,” Underwood said. “But you have a lovely voice. I’m trying to figure out if we can overcome the nerves and whatnot.”
While Luke Bryan called her “solid on all levels” and Lionel Richie praised her control, the “Before He Cheats” songstress wanted more emotional connection. And she got just that when the 23-year-old broke out into “The Prayer” by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion with her dad, Vhen Bautista. Vhen has been a recording artist since 1990, performing under the stage name Chino Romero.
“Wait, wait,” exclaimed Richie. “Dad, you’re going to Hollywood.”
Adding that she “would like to strike her previous” vote, Underwood told Bautista, “You have three yeses.”
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Mom Was Right: Brajawn Upshaw Is Going to Hollywood
Although he first began singing in third grade, Brajawn Upshaw was adamant that he would not sign up for American Idol. So his mom, Tasha, did it for him.
Determined to prove her right, the 22-year-old postal worker from Temple, Georgia, poured his heart and soul into a cover of Billie Eilish and Khalid’s “Lovely.” Now, he has punched his golden ticket to Hollywood.
“Brajawn has such a great texture to his voice…you can tell his mama is so proud,” judge Carrie Underwood wrote on X/Twitter. “I was always a yes, I just wanted to make Luke sweat it a bit.”
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Grayson Torrence Heads to Hollywood With Stunning Christina Aguilera Cover
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Grayson Torrence, 21, arrived for her audition hoping to bring “a bit of Virginia” to Hollywood. With that fiery cover of Christina Aguilera’s 2018 empowerment anthem “Fall in Line,” that’s exactly what she’s doing.
“If Grayson isn’t top 10 I don’t know what life is anymore,” one impressed viewer wrote on X/Twitter.
"Does Anybody Have a Tissue?" Isaiah Moore Is Going to Hollywood
An aspiring singer and worship pastor from Oneonta, Alabama, Isaiah Moore canceled his honeymoon to take a crack at American Idol. Before his audition, he shared a little bit of his backstory with the judges.
With their mother in and out of jail, facing substance abuse issues, Moore and his younger brother were taken in by their grandparents. Although he struggled with his mom’s absence growing up, “I can say today with a happy and joyful smile that she is free from drugs and rehab for three years,” he told the judges.
Expressing gratitude for his supportive family, Moore confessed there was one person in particular on his mind. “This song goes out to my brother [Joseph]. He’s been having a hard time the past year, I would say, and I worry about him. I love him,” Moore said. He was supposed to be here today. I know that he loves me, but I just don’t want him going down the same path that my mom went down, and so I’m singing this for him.”
He then proceeded to dedicate his performance of Luke Combs’ “Where the Wild Things Are” to Joseph.
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And The Flattery Continues
In accordance with tonight’s theme of American Idol hopefuls taking on the judges’ songs, Victor Solomon has just absolutely smashed his audition with a soulful rendition of Lionel Richie’s “Hello.”
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According to his website, Solomon, 24, hails from Chicago, Illinois. As a child, he moved to Peoria, where he grew up singing in church and in the school choirs. And, fun fact: the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University grad competed on season 20 of NBC’s The Voice as a member of Team John Legend.
Landry Champlin Heads to Hollywood After Stunning Carrie Underwood Cover
As if performing on live TV isn’t nerve-wracking enough, Landry Champlin decided to sing a Carrie Underwood song… in front of Carrie Underwood. But she nailed Underwood’s 2012 song “Good Girl” (with a little help from her own American Idol.) Now, this Dallas cowgirl is headed for the bright lights of Hollywood.
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It's Almost Time For 'American Idol!'
Part 2 of ‘American Idol’ season 23 auditions is almost here!
/MKY Is Bringing a Little Chicano to Hollywood
When American Idol season 23 contestant MKY said music was in his DNA, he wasn’t exaggerating. The 25-year-old East Los Angeles native hails from a long line of Chicano singers. His great-uncle, Little Ray Jimenez, was the first Chicano Mexican-American singing R&B-soul music in the ’60s—and that’s just one example.
“So it’s in me,” MKY said. “My family has been chasing this dream, and they passed it on to me.”
He certainly proved that with his unique take on “Ooo Baby Baby” by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. MKY scored a resounding yes from all three judges, with Lionel Richie telling the 25-year-old’s mother, “You do know that from this point on, he not only belongs to you, he belongs to the world. So we’re going to vote so you can see that transition happen right in front of you.”
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