Watch a Sneak Peek of ‘American Idol’ Hopeful Leah Marlene’s Energetic Audition

American Idol ramped up the energy for the second episode of the series. On Thursday, they published an early release audition of 20 year old Leah Marlene. This is not an audition you want to miss, on top of being filled with personality, Leah revealed that she has a true gift.

It’s obvious that Leah is filled with excitement for her audition. She’s seen giggling and laughing throughout the entire audition. Leah comes from a musical family, so she found of her love the art from being surrounded by it. The singer noted that her father, Derry Grehan, was a member of the 1980’s rock band Honeymoon Suite.

When she walked into the audition room, the judges immediately noticed her energy and enthusiasm. They noted it, saying that she is quirky. For her first song, she sang a slowed down version of “Steal My Girl” by One Direction. She was completely confident on the stage during this song. The singer maintained eye contact with the judges throughout the performance and was very expressive. They were speechless in the best way possible.

After finishing her first song, Katy Perry had Leah sing an original after noting that she loved the singers voice. Leah was excited to sing more and shared that she considers songwriting her main gig. Even though her cover song was great, the judges got a better idea of who she is as an artist from the original. She once again gave a great performance and maintained eye contact with the judges.

Leah Marlene is a Hidden Musical Gem

After the second song, the judges compared this singer to American Idol alum Catie Turner. This comparison was a compliment because the judges agreed that Catie was just as fun and quirky as Leah is. Lionel Richie noted that Leah’s biggest strength is the fact that she’s so confident and comfortable with herself. He noted that they typically have to bring people out of their shell, but it’s refreshing for them to not have to.

Leah will be continuing on into the Hollywood portion of the competition. I think Leah will go far in this competition because she is such a talented bright light. From the beginning, the judges said Leah was anything but normal, in the best way possible. She came into the competition with a large personality and I could see her becoming a fan favorite very quickly.

Leah is accomplished in music, but not in the way you imagine. She doesn’t have a million followers on either TikTok or Instagram, instead she’s released a lot of music. She’s released eight singles, one EP, and one album with another dropping on March 3.