‘American Idol’ Recap: Season 21 Auditions Wrap Up with Another Platinum Ticket
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 3 minutes
American Idol Season 21 returned on Sunday night, as auditions wrapped up and the judges handed out the round’s final Platinum Ticket to singer Cam Amen. Hollywood Week kicks off next Sunday night, and based on the teaser, it looks like the judges might actually have yet another Platinum Ticket to hand out during that round.
Cam Amen Earns American Idol Platinum Ticket
During Sunday night’s show, a singer called Cam Amen shared his story of growing up in foster care and raising his own brother and sister when he was 18 years old. For his audition, he performed “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.
Cam’s performance earned a standing ovation from the judges, all of whom gave him a hug when he got emotional afterward. Judge Luke Bryan called him “beautifully unique,” and Lionel Richie said that “divine guidance” brought him to the show.
The panel was so impressed that they chose to give Cam a Platinum Ticket, allowing him to skip the first round of Hollywood Week. Both Luke Bryan and Katy Perry thought that Cam could be the best soul singer they’ve ever had on the show.
SEE ALSO: ‘AMERICAN IDOL’S HOLLYWOOD WEEK TO FEATURE FORMER CONTESTANTS AS MENTORS
Singers Audition with Their Dads
This week’s episode featured not one but three auditions in which singers were accompanied by their dads. First up was 17-year-old Mikenley Brown, whose father played guitar for her as she sang “Love on the Brain.” Mikenley shared her difficult experience with bullying and an eating disorder. The judges gave her a Golden Ticket to Hollywood.
Later, Kaya Stewart auditioned with her dad, who happens to be Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics. Kaya performed a song they wrote together called “This Tattoo.” Lionel Richie said she “slayed it.” Kaya earned a Golden Ticket, although Perry warned her that they’ll be “more nit-picky” with her due to her musical background.
The final audition of the season came from Oliver Steele, who shared that his musician father had suffered a stroke which affected his life side. For his audition, Oliver performed “In My Life” by the Beatles. After he got emotional talking about what his dad means to him, the judges invited him in. Oliver performed “Change the World” by Eric Clapton for his dad.
The judges chose to give Oliver a Golden Ticket, as Perry predicted he could win the show and said he was “twice as good” when singing for his dad. It was a heartfelt way to end the audition round for Season 21.
Fire Returns for a Second Chance Audition
Last week’s show ended on a cliffhanger as a singer named Fire failed to earn a Golden Ticket but was invited to audition again. This week, we saw her second performance. Fire chose not to bring her young daughter with her to this audition, saying she wasn’t focused last time.
For her second chance audition, Fire sang “Love in the Dark” by Adele. Bryan told her that she seemed to have a “completely different mindset” this time around. The judges chose to reward her for her new audition by giving her a Golden Ticket to Hollywood.
Next week, the singers who made it to Hollywood Week will be mentored by former American Idol stars such as Clay Aiken and Jordin Sparks as they fight to stay in the competition. The new episodes will air on Sunday and Monday night on ABC.
