The auditions continue on the Feb. 23 episode of American Idol. First up is Cyniah Elise, 17, whose video went viral on the Internet, which inspired her to audition. She sings an impressive rendition of “You Are The Reason,” and Lionel Richie compares her to Whitney Houston. Unsurprisingly, all judges vote yes, and Cyniah is onto Hollywood! Next, Kay Genyse comes to audition after being inspired by a fortune cookie. She sings and dances to “Mercy,” but the judges are worried that her vocals aren’t quite up to par with her showmanship.
Kay vows to work on her voice, but Luke Bryan still says no. Katy Perry isn’t sure what her decision is, so she brings Kay out to the streets to see what the people have to say. She agrees to give Kay a YES if the public agrees. Kay gets a resounding yes from the crowd, and Katy and Lionel give her the two yeses that she needs to move onto Hollywood! The next audition is from Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, Kyle Tanguay. He’s an obvious performer, but hasn’t had much singing experience. Kyle sings Shawn Mendes’ “Mercy.” The judges agree he has some work to do, but still unanimously send him to Hollywood.
Jovin Webb, 28, takes the audition stage next. He sings “Whipping Post” by the Allman Brothers, and majorly impresses the judges with his voice. It’s no surprise when Jovin gets three yeses and moves onto Hollywood! The quirky Claire Jolie Goodman is up next. She has a Broadway-style voice, and it’s simply not what the judges are looking for. They agree that Claire has an amazing voice, but let her know that American Idol just isn’t the place for her.
The next performer is Margie Mays, who actually auditioned for season 17 of American Idol, but was eliminated during the showcase round (top 40). Margie’s boyfriend, Johnny West, is also auditioning this year. She sings “I Found A Boy,” and the judges agree that her singing has improved, but they don’t think she made the best song choice. Margie gets a yes from Lionel, but a no from Katy. Luke agrees with Katy that there’s work to be done, but he gives Margie a yes so that she can have one more shot, and Margie is off to Hollywood!
Johnny is up next. He sings an original song, which also features a rap, and the judges fall in love with him. They unanimously vote him through to Hollywood. Johnny’s audition is followed by a performance from Sarah Isen. She sings a gorgeous rendition of “If I Were A Boy” by Beyonce. Her nerves are evident, but the judges still recognize her talent, and they send her to Hollywood.
Next, Eliza Catasrophe performs a unique original song called “Sardines.” The judges love her personality and spirit, but just don’t think her voice and character are right for American Idol, and she gets three nos. The next contestant is Julia Gargano, comes to Idol after being inspired by past contestants Catie Turner and Alejandro Aranda. She sings an original song called “Growing Pains.” Katy loves the performance so much that she marches up and gives Julia a hug. The judges are all in agreement about Julia’s talent, and she gets three yeses.
The last audition of the night is from a married couple, who form a duo called Treble Soul. The judges ask them to perform individually: Curt Jones is up first with a Travis Tritt song, followed by Hannah Prestridge, who sings an original about overcoming addiction. The judges agree that Hannah is the stronger singer and performer. They vote Hannah through, and urge Curt to be her rock throughout the competition. American Idol continues with another episode on March 1.