In September 2002, an unknown 20-year-old cocktail waitress from Texas won the inaugural season of a brand-new show called American Idol. Twenty-three years later, Kelly Clarkson still credits the show with setting her on the path to stardom. Several others have since walked that same path, including now-judge Carrie Underwood and country music hitmaker Scotty McCreery. Here’s why singer-actress Keke Palmer firmly believes that American Idol path could have been hers if the stars ever aligned.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I know for a fact, if it was at the right time, the right era, your girl would’ve been an American Idol,” the Nope star, 32, said during a Sept. 15 appearance on the popular YouTube series Hot Ones.
“I would have been up there with my girl Fantasia,” Palmer continued. “Not her season, though, ’cause she would have beat me. But I would have been up in there. I know I could have made it at some point.”
[RELATED: ‘American Idol’ Showrunner Teases “Big Changes,” Carrie Underwood’s Return]
Why Keke Palmer Could Have Been An ‘American Idol’ Champ
Keke Palmer’s bold claim about American Idol isn’t all that outrageous when you look at her career. The Illinois native landed her first film role at just 11 years in 2004’s Barbershop 2: Back in Business. Within the next two years, she had inked a contract with Atlantic Records and starred as the titular role in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee.
Since then, Palmer has gone on to release three studio album, with her most recent, Just Keke, coming in June 2025. Having already demonstrated her performance chops, the “Bottoms Up” singer also believes she has something else on her side: a compelling storyline.
“I’m from Chicago, you know. My mom, you know, she was a singer growing up,” Palmer said. “‘Cause you had to have that back in the day. You needed that storyline.”
Her confidence growing, she continued, “I would have ate the damn America up. Oh my gosh. Y’all would’ve been crying.”
Palmer has previously spoken candidly about her struggles as a young musician, telling People in May 2023, “I think with labels, there isn’t any artist development. A lot of times they’ll try stuff to throw stuff out, then it doesn’t work and it’s your fault. They don’t really support the artists in being able to discover how to share their voice, how to tell their story.”
Featured image by Unique Nicole/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.