Taking on a Celine Dion tune is no easy feat, but American Idol hopeful Olivia Soli seemed to do it with ease Monday night (April 10).
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The 20-year-old Los Angeles native delivered a stunning rendition of Dion’s classic “All By Myself” for the second night of Showstopper performances, the deciding factor for who will be competing for the American Idol title in the Top 24. These performances involved a backing band as judges—veteran artists Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry— evaluate not only the contestants’ voices but also their on-stage presence.
From the start of her performance, Soli commanded the audience’s attention with her all-powerful display. She hit every big note, her husky falsetto captivating the judges and capturing our hearts. Teary-eyed by the song’s end, she received a standing ovation from the crowd, which included her father who she said she hadn’t seen in weeks. They embraced right off the stage, perhaps both knowing Top 24 was in her sights after that goosebump-inducing show.
With Perry calling her an “incredible talent,” Soli had secured her place in the competition and would be continuing on.
See her performance below.
Soli and her big voice have been favorites since she auditioned with a rendition of Richie’s own “Hello.”
Seated behind the piano, the college student laid down a chilling re-imagining of the classic tune, playing a sparse piano arrangement but delivering a show-stopping vocal performance. She showed the judges her incredible range, something that was again on display Monday night.
With her audition, the judges were visibly impressed with Richie even mouthing along to his song from where he sat with the panel.
“When people say they’re going to sing your song … please don’t sing it like us,” he told her after her song had come to a close. “Own it. Take it and turn it into your song. You did it to perfection.” He added then that she was the “best so far in this audition.”
ABC/Eric McCandless
