[ Thunder rumbling ]
♪♪
Carrie: I am very happy to be back.
My second season as a judge.
It feels like family.
♪ I know water that's thicker than blood ♪
♪ That's deeper than love with my friends ♪
"Idol"!
Contestant: I have my family to support me.
♪ When I am blind, in my mind ♪
Contestant #2: I'm very blessed to have my family
that really believes in me.
Contestant #3: My family is always pushing me to be better.
Contestant #4: My whole family has pushed me through the years.
We're gonna do it together, okay?
Okay. All right. I love you.
I love you.
♪ I know some people, they would die for me ♪
Lionel: We're here to inspire them.
♪ We run together ♪
Welcome to our family.
♪ Family ♪
[ Woman cheering ]
Luke: Getting to watch these kids chase their dreams,
I feel really proud of where we're at as judges
and with the talent that's come in.
The moment of truth. The part I see on TV.
Last day of auditions.
Another beautiful day in Nashville
searching for talent. Carrie: Whoo!
Let's do it!
♪ All of my life ♪
Woman: Welcome to "American Idol."
Ah! I literally can't believe I'm here.
This is un-- I can't even talk.
[ Laughing ] Oh, Mommy.
And now I'm gonna start crying. I can't believe it.
This is literally something that I've been dreaming of
since I was little.
Oh, my God, you're here! The sign.
Oh, my gosh. We have to take a picture with the sign.
Together: "American Idol"!
[ Camera shutter clicking ] ♪ All of my life ♪
Rae: I remember, like, the season finale
of "American Idol" was like Christmas.
Bo Bice! Bo Bice!
I got Bo Bice!
I couldn't sleep the night before.
I was so excited to watch it.
And so this is, like, a dream come true.
Seriously.
Lionel: Ready to go.
And away we go!
Don't hold it back.
Hey. Hey.
All right. What's your name? Who are you?
Where are you from?
My name is Rae. I'm 24.
I'm from Frederick, Maryland.
What made you want to audition for "Idol"?
I am an "American Idol" superfan.
Ah. I can't believe I'm here.
And have you ever auditioned before?
No. I haven't. Well, why'd you wait?
I know. It should have been sooner.
Well, good deal. What are you gonna sing?
I'm gonna sing "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin.
Ooh. All right.
Big shoes. Big shoes. I love it. All right.
♪♪
♪ Looking out on the morning rain ♪
♪ I used to feel so uninspired ♪
♪ But when I knew I had to face another day ♪
♪ Oh, oh-oh-oh ♪
♪ Lord, it made me feel so tired ♪
♪ Before the day I met you ♪
♪ Life was so unkind ♪
♪ But you're the key to my peace of mind ♪
♪ 'Cause you make me feel ♪
♪ You make me feel ♪
♪ You make me feel like a natural ♪
♪ Woman ♪
♪ Baby, what you done to me? ♪
♪ Ohh ♪
♪ Oh, you make me feel so good inside ♪
♪ And I just ♪
♪ I wanna be ♪
♪ Close to you ♪
♪ You make me feel so alive ♪
♪ 'Cause you make me feel ♪
♪ You ♪
♪ You make me feel like a natural ♪
♪ Woman ♪
[ Music ends ]
Whoo! Nothing wrong with that.
Alrighty. Nothing wrong with that.
Oh.
You good? Yeah.
Goodness.
I can't believe we have not seen you in this room until now.
I think you kind of read Luke's mind.
He was like, "Can she hit the 'you' in her chest voice?"
And then you did. But, yeah, you...
You did it. In my opinion,
you did a lot of amazing things in that performance just then.
You got some pipes, for sure... Yes.
...which that's your whole goal, is to come in and,
like, show us what you got.
A little trouble landing the plane... Right at the end.
...but we were flying high, so it really didn't matter... Yeah.
...'cause you did enough throughout the rest of the song.
Great voice.
Thank you so much. Love your choices.
You took Aretha, turned it upside down, and made it yours.
I think it was just brilliant.
Very, very good. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you guys.
What does it mean for you to be here right now?
To finally be here?
Um, I think that it came at the perfect time.
My whole family is here.
My dad actually suffered from a stroke a year ago, a severe one.
I almost lost him. And he's here with me right now.
Wow.
She's just worked so hard to get to here.
And I'm so proud of her work.
[ Sniffles ]
And...
[ Sniffles ]
♪♪
So it's really crazy that we're here.
I didn't think that we would be in this position.
Sorry. You're good.
No. It's good. All right, let's vote.
Let's vote. Let's vote.
Let's bring the family in. Hi, fam.
Come on.
Oh, my God.
Ah! The proud folks.
Yeah.
How you doing, Pop?
There you go. Rae: Oh, my God.
Ah, so great.
Woman: We heard you through the door.
You were so good. Oh, my God.
Lionel: Congratulations.
So, have you watched Hollywood Week before?
-Yeah. -Yeah.
Many, many, many times.
Well, Lionel?
Yes.
Carrie?
Yes!
Yes. You're going to Hollywood Week.
[ Family cheering ]
♪ Hold tight, you're slowly coming back to life ♪
Woman #2: Oh, my God.
♪ I'll be keeping your head up ♪
-I love it! -Oh, my God.
Thank you all so much.
Well, thank you all for...
Lionel: Are you kidding me?
Thank you all for raising this child and...
Thank you so much. Did well.
Good job. Enjoy.
Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
So happy for you. Gerald: Thank you.
We'll see you back soon. Congrats.
I'm proud of you.
I'm so proud of you.
[ Family cheering ]
♪ Hold tight, you're slowly coming back to life ♪
Ah, that's so great.
She's good.
My little princess...
is gonna be the next American Idol.
I feel it in my bones.
♪ And I won't let you down ♪
I love you, too.
Lionel: How beautiful is this, guys?
Last year and the year before, we kept saying,
"You can't beat it. You can't beat it."
And we did.
It is so exciting because we don't know what to expect.
Luke: You never do. I can't tell you.
There are human beings that the world and us doesn't know.
Take us on an emotional ride, too.
And, also, I think we kind of recognize in the stories
just how blessed we are, you know,
'cause when you get into the lives of some
of these beautiful people,
we learn that the struggles are very different.
Yo, yo, yo. Carrie: Welcome!
Mor: Yo, yo, yo! All right. Left turn, left turn, left turn.
Carrie: Howdy. I am here. How are you guys doing?
We're doing good. What is your name, sir?
I am Mor.
Mor what?
Mor Ilderton. "More" of what?
How can I have some more of nothing?
I know what you're doing there.
Is that a family name?
So my real name is Clarence Morton Ilderton IV.
So we just cut Morton in half. Thank goodness.
Carrie: That's way too long. I like it. I love it.
Yeah. I would hate to be called Clarence. I like that.
No offense to any Clarences.
Where are you from?
I'm from Teays Valley, West Virginia.
Born and raised there, and I'm 22 years old.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Goodness. I was raised by my grandma.
Um, I've had a great childhood,
and the fact that I'm here right now, it's freaking awesome.
I'm really excited.
So good.
Mor: Since I was 2 years old,
I was put into full custody with my grandma,
and I grew up calling her "Mom."
She is an amazing woman.
I mean, I was a mischievous kid.
I put her through so much.
♪ ...into the night ♪
Whoever I am reaches back to her, always.
He was a kicker on the football team in high school
and played basketball.
And then all of a sudden, he started playing the guitar.
He taught himself. He's just really good.
He's very talented.
♪ But the gateway to the world ♪
She made my life feel so normal
and sacrificed so much for me.
She's my rock.
No.
When he left,
I told him I was really sorry I couldn't be there for him.
And he said, "I understand."
And I just think that it was important to him.
And I'm...
I'm gonna cry.
And I think I really want to be there for him.
Carrie: What are you gonna be singing for us today?
I am singing a song. A very meaningful song.
I wrote it. It's called "Strong."
And I lost my biological mom when I was 2 years old.
My dad ended my mom's life.
Oh. Ah.
It's about seeing my mom's picture for the first time
and not knowing her,
and just kind of looking at a stranger
and just pouring out my emotions of that through this song.
[ Breathes deeply ]
[ Intro plays ]
[ Music stops ]
Take your time. Carrie: You're good.
Take your time. Take it. You're all good. You're good.
Golly.
Take your time. Hey. Look up.
It's all good, baby.
We're here. I know. All good.
Phew!
[ Intro plays ]
♪♪
♪ Said, a picture's worth a thousand words ♪
♪ But I've only got a few ♪
♪ When I look down at that frame ♪
♪ And I don't even recognize you ♪
♪ 'Cause you were taken from me years ago ♪
♪ Someone I never got to know ♪
♪ And now I can hardly speak when I see your face ♪
♪ Oh, Mama ♪
♪ I hope you found your way home ♪
♪ Oh, for West Virginia, you're looking ♪
♪ And we wish you were here ♪
♪ Oh, Mama ♪
♪♪
♪ And I don't wanna need you anymore ♪
♪ I don't wanna bleed you anymore ♪
♪ Everything in me is hanging on ♪
♪ You're the only reason that I'm strong ♪
♪ That I'm strong ♪
♪♪
♪ Oh, Mama ♪
♪ I hope you found your way home ♪
♪♪
♪ Oh, for West Virginia, you're looking ♪
♪ And we wish you were ♪
♪ Oh, Mama ♪
♪♪
[ Music ends ]
Whoo! Oh!
Cool, man. Thank you so much.
Very cool.
Thank you guys. Very cool.
The fact that you took that time and pulled that together.
I feel like you went... Man.
...you went somewhere else when you were singing.
It's like we weren't here -- in a good way.
Thank you.
As unnerved as you may feel, I love your delivery.
I love the timbre of your voice.
And more importantly, that writing was very cool.
Thank you so much. That means the world to me. Very, very cool, man.
Seriously. I mean that. I mean that.
Thank you. Yeah. You got all the tools.
You got the look, you got the style, you got the hair,
you got the heart, the voice.
What else has he got?
Carrie? He's got support.
And where is that support?
Wait.
Oh, my gosh.
♪ Gateway to the world ♪
Sandy: Ah! Surprise!
Oh, my God!
♪ The gun in a trembling hand ♪
I haven't been on an airplane for, like, 25-plus years.
Get away! Aww.
Yeah, this has been exciting. I am, too.
I can't believe you're here.
Grandma, what's your name?
Sandy.
We want to applaud you for stepping up and raising him.
Oh, my gosh, he's been a blessing.
But wait, wait. We have some more business.
Carrie: We have to tell him if he's going through
to Hollywood Week or not.
Yes.
I will make that three yeses.
I would like to hear "more." All right.
Both of you, come up this way.
Thank you very much. Sandy, Sandy.
Congrats. -Thank you, sir.
Oh, for God's sake, man.
I just listened to the whole song.
Oh, thank you. Sandy.
And I am really proud of him.
You did a good job.
Thank you, Mama.
Lionel: The tragedy of all that story.
To have Nana Sandy, the family around him...
Luke: Yep. ...he's gonna be all right.
Thank you so much for surprising me,
seriously. Okay.
I love you. I'm glad to.
I love you, too.
♪♪
Jorr: ♪ Oh-oh, I ♪
♪ I hope you're dancing in the sky ♪
Jordan. Right? Jordan.
But do you go by Jorr?
Jorr. I love it.
Um, it was very 15 years old to me.
Lionel: Oh. Come on.
Apparently that's bad.
It's frowned upon.
I think this year,
Luke has kind of taken a role
of being maybe a little tougher than in seasons past.
You weren't all the way in control of it.
♪ That guy, don't act ♪
Luke is absolutely out of his mind.
In fact, I can go one step further -- He's crazy.
Everybody's been like, "Oh,
that's great the way she's doing that."
But it ain't all the time great.
He's been tougher this season.
♪ Yeah, she gives a smile when the pain comes ♪
It felt like you had a bunch of Benadryl
before you walked in here. [ Laughs ]
Carrie: Tough crowd. That is the truth.
So he was saying no to everybody.
I'm a no.
♪ Yeah, I'm a bad guy ♪
Carrie gave me a look! I did!
I know. I know. I know. I know. I gave you a dirty look there.
♪ Always-got-your-back guy ♪
Carrie: Luke was just grumpy. [ Laughs ]
Am I right or wrong?
I'm a no right now.
It's a no for me.
I'm a no for right now.
Wow.
I'm trying to make these kids nervous
and understand it's tough out there.
It's always... You're a grumpy old man.
Just... [ Laughs ]
Sir, is your name Luke Bryan?
It is. Am I in trouble?
I heard you were giving too many nos.
Is that true? I was giving some nos there,
uh, Officer.
Unfortunately, that is a violation of Code "Idol" 26,
so I'm gonna need your hand, sir.
Yeah! Oh, goodness.
Oh, yeah! Put your hands like this for me.
Make 'em tight.
Easy! [ Handcuffs clicking ]
Luke. Luke. Yeah!
Where am I going? Luke, what did you do?
Stay right there, sir.
[ Singsongy voice ] You're in trouble.
Oh, that got my attention. [ Laughs ]
Hi. Hello.
What's your name?
I'm Julia Sienna.
I'm 20 years old,
and I'm a Class One officer down by the Jersey Shore.
How officially under arrest am I?
It depends if you give me a yes or not.
Ah! I like that. So you might be stuck there.
Carrie: She's got the key. It's up to you.
I mean, you're obviously not just here to make me happy.
Um... [ Laughter ]
Glad that made you smile.
You are here because you like to sing.
So what are you gonna sing for us today? Yes.
Today I'll be singing "I Would" by Connie Talbot.
Okay. Let's hear ya.
[ Intro plays ]
♪♪
♪ Never knew my hands to shake ♪
♪ Never had my heart beat so fast ♪
♪ Finally found the words to say ♪
♪ But I'm scared you won't say them back ♪
♪ Wish that you could read my mind ♪
♪ So you could see what's locked up inside ♪
♪ Could I ask a couple questions ♪
♪ Before the moment passes us by? ♪
♪ Whoa-oh-oh, honestly ♪
♪ Would you give all your life ♪
♪ If I give you all of mine? ♪
♪ Would you love me unconditionally ♪
♪ Be everything that I need ♪
♪ And do anything for love? ♪
♪ Would you stand by my side ♪
♪ Until the end of time? ♪
♪ Would you love me unconditionally ♪
♪ Be the air that I need ♪
♪ And do anything for us? ♪
♪ 'Cause I would ♪
♪ I would ♪
Mm! Wow.
Yeah.
Mm. Mm. [ Music ends ]
Carrie: All right! Thank you.
Yeah. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!
[ Laughter ]
Where's the key?
Depends.
I loved it. Thank you.
I loved it.
No, really, really great. Now, can I see the key?
No. There you go.
Oh, she is holding her card.
Carrie: Yeah. Oh, I love this.
I love you. I love you, too.
I feel like you are such a fantastic representation
of every woman.
Like, you -- you come in. Thank you.
You are -- You're strong, you're gorgeous.
Thank you. You have a strength in your voice.
And then you have these beautiful notes at the top
that are very soft and pretty.
And it's -- it's all the things all wrapped into one.
And I love that very much.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
I love your voice.
You've got substance in there.
You've got some natural abilities
that you're just working and not really aware
that you're doing it.
Thank you, sir.
I'm really ready to vote.
Yeah. [ Laughs ] You're motivated.
Set free of my...
He's motivated. [ Laughs ]
[ Julia laughs ]
Yes.
It's a yes for me, for sure.
And it's an absolute yes for me.
Thank you so much.
Release the prisoner.
Ah, the prisoner!
Yes, release. And get your ticket.
Here we go. Oh, okay.
I mean, wait. Are we sure we want to do this?
Oh, come on, Carrie! Let it happen. No, no.
Okay, okay, okay, okay. I got one back.
Julia: There you go.
All right. There we go.
Now, Luke, tell her the words.
With full mobility...
welcome to Hollywood Week.
Thank you so much, sir. Thank you very much.
Good job. Thank you.
Ah, that's so great. Thank you.
♪ I've fallen in love ♪
[ Family cheering ]
♪ I've fallen in love for the first time ♪
Have you ever been arrested?
I have never been arrested. Really?
Have you?
Of course not!
Oh, look at her. Oh, come on, guys.
No! You gotta be arrested once.
[ Group cheering ]
♪ It's strange, but it's true ♪
Hopefully arresting Luke set him straight
and that he will be willing to give everybody a yes, as well.
10-4. This officer is out.
See you at Hollywood Week!
Whoo!
Lionel, have you? Yeah.
You have been arrested? Yeah.
And the officer said, "Okay, I'll let you go,
but you have to call your parents on the phone."
And I said, "Lock me up."
[ Laughter ] ♪ Oh, how I want to break free ♪
♪♪
♪ Come down off your throne ♪
♪ And leave that body alone ♪
♪ Somebody must change ♪
♪ You are the reason I've been waiting so long ♪
♪ Somebody holds the key ♪
♪ And I'm near the end ♪
♪ And I just ain't got the time ♪
Sounded like Bryan Adams a little bit. Carrie: Mm-hmm.
♪ And I'm wasted and I ♪
♪ Can't find my way home ♪
♪ No, I can't ♪
♪ Ooh, no, I can't ♪
♪ Can't find my way home ♪
[ Music ends ]
Carrie: All right. Yeah, yeah.
-Thank you. -I appreciate it. Thank you.
Yeah. Man, I love your confidence.
Yeah. Right? Jake: That really means a lot.
Thank you. Yeah.
I mean, you went from a little Billy Joel
with a guitar, to Bon Jovi, to Bryan Adams.
I mean, but what I'm loving about all this
is that it's -- it's fresh.
You're checking some boxes for me.
That's very kind of you. I appreciate it. It's very good.
I like that. Carrie: Very cool voice.
How long have you been performing?
I started playing when I was 9.
I picked up guitar then,
and then roughly six months later, I played my first show
and it just sort of snowballed from there, so...
As a 9-year-old, you play your first show?
Yeah. That's cool.
You can tell you've been playing.
You can tell you were comfortable with the guitar.
I'm excited for you. Oh, thank you so much.
Can we vote?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Luke? Yes.
That's three yeses.
-Ah, thank you guys so much. -We're off to another start.
I know! Come on!
Can I shake your hands? Oh, please, man.
Please. We're trending. We're trending.
Bring it on. It's great to meet you guys.
Thank you so much. It really means the world. You need that.
Thank you.
Good to meet you. Good job. It means a lot.
I'll see you guys soon. Better call my boys in Jersey
and tell 'em, "Wait. We've got another one coming." Carrie: Yeah.
That's very kind of you.
Thank you guys so much. Very good, man.
It means the world. Very good.
Have a great rest of your day.
I know they're long, you know. You too.
See ya at Hollywood Week.
Thank you guys again. It really means a lot.
No, he's really good. Carrie: Very poised.
Very -- "Thank you very much." Yeah. Just very...
Thank you guys so much.
Look you straight in the eye. "Thank you. Have a great day."
It was a great time.
I mean, I'm so grateful for the opportunity.
"We know you're gonna have a couple of ups and downs today.
Gonna be a little on and off your game,
but I'll be pulling for you.
Yeah. Thank you. Have a nice day."
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
He was great. Oh! Yeah. Love it.
How are we doing? All right.
Good. Loving the shirt. The shirt choice. Oh, man.
See my area code back on it?
Oh. Come on. Come on. All right.
All right, well, tell us who you are.
My name is Landon Hughes. I'm from Hazard, Kentucky.
I'm 19 years old, and I'm a college soccer player, as well.
College soccer player. Yes, sir.
What college are you at?
I'm at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio.
Are you enjoying doing that?
I'll be God's honest. I had a...
"I'll be God's honest."
You got to be somewhere from Kentucky
to go, "God's honest."
[ Laughing ] Yeah. To be honest, I love it.
You know, I didn't think going up there
would be as much of a life-changing experience
as it is, but it kind of made me re-fall in love with music.
♪ Crooked the road ♪
♪ And the one... ♪
Landon H.: As Appalachians, we have
a very unique experience in life.
But I used to hate home when I was growing up.
You know, after coal crashed, you know,
a lot of stuff was taken away.
And I was the first generation who really experienced Hazard
with not a lot.
When I first moved out of Kentucky,
I started playing college soccer.
And, you know, I started missing home.
♪ Tell me, why did you run? ♪
Obviously, being from southeast Kentucky,
bluegrass is our genre.
I started listening to the old albums, you know,
and every time I hear it,
it transports me back to the mountains.
Whether I'm in Cleveland or Nashville,
it really transports me back home.
♪ But if you're leaving ♪
You know, listening to bluegrass really made me realize
I took Appalachia for advantage for many years
when I lived there, and now I've changed.
I'm here 100% to represent Appalachia.
When I play the music, that's the sound of home.
When they see me, that's the look of home.
And I walk with it every day.
You know, I carry dirt from home on my boots.
I carry home with me, and I carry it here
to "American Idol" because I'm proud of it.
You go in there and show them what this small-town,
Eastern Kentucky boy...
Hazard, Kentucky. Whoo-hoo!
Let's go get it.
I genuinely appreciate this audition more
than a lot of people ever know.
And I'm going out here to pick it.
Pick it fast, sing it loud.
Hopefully it has an impact on 'em.
[ Bluegrass music plays ]
♪♪
♪ Oh, yonder staaaands ♪
♪ Little Maggie ♪
♪ With a drink glass in her hand ♪
♪ She's drinking away all the troubles ♪
♪ And she's courting another man ♪
♪♪
♪ Lay down your last gold dollar ♪
♪ Lay down your gold watch and chain ♪
♪ Little Maggie's gonna dance for daddy ♪
♪ Listen to this old guitar ring ♪
♪♪
♪ Go away, go awaaaaay ♪
♪ Little Maggie ♪
♪ Go and do the best that you can ♪
♪ I'm gonna get me another woman ♪
♪ You can get you another man ♪
Ah. There you go. Hey.
[ Music ends ]
Yeah.
Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
[ Laughs ] Thank you.
You made me happy. Landon H.: Thank you.
Okay. I have one for real question. Mm-hmm.
So in this competition, we do Rock Hall of Fame,
we do Disney Night, we throw things at you. Mm-hmm.
We want you to be you.
Can you be you in other genres?
I think I can do about every genre.
I love music all across the board --
not just bluegrass, 'cause of where I'm from,
but I love every bit of music.
You're old-school as you can be.
I like your vibe. Thank you.
I just want to make sure that you understand in that character
that you have of your voice,
you're gonna have to take us on that journey
where we don't get too comfortable
knowing what you're gonna do. Yeah.
You're gonna have to kind of guide us through it.
Vocally, I'm a little skeptical.
There was some stuff you did at the end
where you had a little vibrato in there,
and it was really nice.
So I think you're still exploring a lot with your voice. Ooh.
I feel like you deserve a chance to prove yourself. Ooh.
But if you should make it through,
you're gonna have to work on your delivery
and pulling us in
and some of the softer tones, just really emoting.
It's a yes for me. Thank you.
I would like to see what you do.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate that.
I really am just going on faith.
Uh, it's a yes for me.
Thank you.
I do think you may have a little bit
of an uphill climb with some of these voices
in this competition. Mm-hmm.
But there's only one way you can learn.
♪ He's riding that wind somewhere ♪
Yes for me.
Oh, my God. [ Laughs ] You don't know.
[ Voice breaking ] Thank you.
[ Sobs ]
Thank you. It...
This means the world to me.
For so long, I was afraid of kind of exploring who I was
and where I was from.
And...
you know, I can finally be who I am
and be proud of it, you know?
Don't be afraid.
Thank you, thank you. Carrie: Come on.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Whoo!
Thank you. Good job.
-Nice to meet you. -You got it. You got it, man.
Luke: You're going to Hollywood Week.
♪ You looking at me ♪
♪ I'm watching you break ♪
♪ And you're watching me bleed ♪
I think he scared himself.
We said, "Yes, yes, yes." He just went, "What?"
"You sure?"
"Are you sure you're talking to me?"
I know my audition wasn't perfect,
but I appreciate you giving me the confidence
that I need and giving me the ability to,
you know, change my life. Man: Congratulations, buddy.
This has my heart. You know, it's everything.
And I'm very proud to take this ticket back home.
♪♪
Belmont's pretty nice, huh?
Lionel: This is one of the most beautiful campuses
I've ever checked out. Class is in session.
Bring on the talent.
Hello. How are you?
-Good. How are you? -What's happening?
What's up, guys?
With the theme of "Idol" University this year,
it's been fun to kind of do some teaching.
Who are you? Landon McGraw.
I'm from Wheelersburg, Ohio.
Learned to play guitar from kind of a --
Oh, I probably shouldn't say this to everybody,
but I lied to a bunch of girls
that I could play guitar and sing.
Carrie: Well, you lied, but then you made it right. Right.
So that makes it okay, right? [ Laughter ]
Carrie: We end up being professors
to our hopefuls, our students.
[ Twangy voice ] ♪ You've been here ♪
♪ Seven years longer than me ♪
♪ Don't you know you're supposed to be the man? ♪
Uh, do you sing "Happy Birthday" that way?
[ Twangy voice ] ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
I should.
We're not here to tear them down.
We're here to inspire them.
[ Growling ] ♪ I pray ♪
♪ Pray I'm not out on my own ♪
Sometimes the growl was needed.
And sometimes you didn't have to have the growl.
Yeah. You're telling right in the middle of a story
and you're going [Growls]
And I'm going, "Okay, that was a hemorrhoid."
I guess I can't use that one. [ Laughs ]
Like, "Did he just say hemorrhoid?"
That is a visual.
In the music world,
you kind of have to be ready all the time to sing.
Sing "Happy Birthday."
♪ Happy birthday, dear Luke ♪
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
That's already better than anything you've done.
♪ Teacher's gonna show you ♪ Luke.
[ Softly ] ♪ Pray that we close all this distance between us ♪
♪ I pray ♪
That's what you want all the way
throughout that song.
Sometimes just the simplest thing has them
hanging on every word and every note.
Yes for me. Thank you so much.
I'm gonna give you a big giant yes.
Thank you.
I'm only messing with you 'cause I'm gonna give you
a yes if you work on it and get better.
I'm a yes.
Ah! Carrie: Yay!
[ Cheering ]
I did it!
♪ A-B-C ♪
♪ Easy as 1, 2, 3 ♪
Luke: Me and Carrie and Lionel,
we don't miss any opportunity to teach them a few things.
♪ I-I-I never loved someone ♪
♪ Way that I love you ♪
[ Vocalizing ]
[ Vocalizing continues ]
[ Music ends ]
♪ Bump ♪
[ Laughs ]
Carrie, what do you think?
You have a really great instrument.
I felt like the piano was distracting me. Correct.
Okay. I don't know what it was or if it was, like, the...
you know, drawing out certain notes or something... Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
...and then, like, getting back
into some sort of rhythm on the piano.
But I was like -- I'm trying to follow. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
I'm trying to follow and I can't. Yeah, yeah.
I want to tap my toe and I can't do it.
Luke: Do you gig out a lot?
Are you -- Is music paying the bills?
Um, I actually am a vocal coach at Destiny Music Studio.
Ah. So you instill in the kids
the confidence to be great singers
and not be afraid of the stage?
Yes, sir. I hope they see me up here, too,
and see themselves in me,
and get inspired that they can do this, too.
Brenna...
you are such an inspiration,
and your students are so proud of you.
And they wish that they could be here today.
And they recorded a video. [ Gasps ]
Oh, my gosh, I'm gonna cry.
♪ Out there is an open road ♪
You can do this, Miss Brenna.
I believe in you.
Good luck, Miss Brenna. We're so proud of you.
I love you, Miss Brenna, and I wish you the best luck ever.
Oh, my gosh.
Together: Good luck, Miss Brenna!
Whoo!
Oh, that is the best thing I've ever seen.
My students mean the world to me.
So many kids come in sharing their dreams with me,
and it feels like me being here shows that with hard work
and never giving up, anything's possible.
Do you have another song that you could do, like, sans piano?
Yeah. I can do "My Church" by Maren Morris.
Try to breathe and settle down.
♪ I've cussed on a Sunday ♪
♪ I've cheated and I've lied ♪
♪ I've fallen down from grace ♪
♪ A few too many times ♪
♪ But I find holy redemption ♪
♪ When I put this car in drive ♪
♪ Roll the windows down and turn up the dial ♪
♪ Can I get a "hallelujah"? ♪
♪ Can I get an "amen"? ♪
♪ Feels like the Holy Ghost running through ya ♪
♪ When I play the highway FM ♪
♪ I find my soul revival ♪
♪ Singing every single verse ♪
♪ Yeah, I guess that's my church ♪
Mm. Okay. That was better.
That was much better. All right.
You have a huge range. You can sing softly. Mm-hmm.
You can belt on the higher stuff.
Definitely feel like there needs to be some fine-tuning here
and there... Mm-hmm.
...but I feel like you have one of the better voices
that we have heard so far.
Thank you.
You're a vocal coach,
but I feel like if me and Lionel left and you
and her had two hours,
when we'd come back,
you would be maybe 100% more of a dynamic singer. Yeah.
Mm-hmm. You got all the tools vocally.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
I think there's so much promise.
I love your vibe.
So yes for me.
That's one. That's one.
Make it two. It's a yes for me. Oh, that's two.
Make it three.
All right.
It gives me great pleasure to say... Whoo-whoo!
...you're going to Hollywood Week.
Thank you! Thank you!
Getting three yeses feels absolutely amazing.
This is the life I've always dreamed of for myself.
I've never wanted to be anything else but a singer.
♪ I don't need batteries to play ♪
♪ I'm so confident ♪
She's good. Yeah. She's got a thing there.
She's got a little stardust on her.
I can't wait for my students to see me on their TVs.
Like, I really hope they just see themselves in me.
I'm going to Hollywood Week!
[ Group cheering ]
♪ Unstoppable today ♪
Ryan: More to come on "American Idol," where the search
for the next incredible class of singers continues.
♪ You're sayin' to me what you're sayin' to me ♪
♪ But the glimmer in your eyes is telling me other things ♪
♪ I don't want to get undressed ♪
♪ For a new person all over again ♪
♪ I don't want to kiss someone else's neck ♪
♪ And have to pretend it's yours instead, no ♪
♪ I don't want to get undressed ♪
♪ For a new person all over again ♪
[ Music ends ]
You got a voice. It's just identity now.
It's like, who are you going to be walking out onstage?
I got you. Luke: Tell us some more about you.
Do you write? Yes, sir.
I write music and I work at a golf course.
You work at a golf course? I do. You a golfer?
Oh! Oh, is he a golfer?
Am I a golfer?
Nah. No, no. There's the golfer. No. We lost him.
Mwah! You need a caddie?
You're a caddie? Yes, sir.
Do we have an orange or anything?
A piece of fruit?
I need to see if this guy can read a putt.
Got any fruit over there?
[ Laughs ]
I need a putter!
[ Laughing ] Okay. Okay.
I need a broom or something.
Somebody come and get him.
[ Clatter ] I just broke the mic stand.
Dang it, Luke!
We need a tech.
[ Feedback whines, Lionel laughs ]
Matty, get ready. All right.
You have never had golf like this before.
Hold that. Yep.
All right, here's the hole. Yep.
Come here. Oh!
Now, you get one roll to read it.
All right.
It looks like it's got some right to left in it.
There we go. Yeah.
A little inside the mark there.
Yep. Am I going?
[ Tchaikovky's "Waltz of the Flowers" plays ]
Carrie: Oh. Lionel: Ah! Good read.
Luke: Here we go.
I mean, I would use the other end.
I would go -- Yeah, yeah.
Oh, a little, uh...
Broomstick. There you go.
♪♪
[ Distorted music plays ]
Carrie: That was terrible. That was just -- That was pitiful.
Luke, let me tell you something.
If you're gonna do it, do it right. Look.
-Give Lionel a read. -Oh, man, I got a read.
I know -- Listen, I know where it is.
All right. Watch this.
Go in.
Luke: That's in. You drained it.
Oh. That's pretty good.
-Thank you very much. -You drained it.
Lionel: You know why? 'Cause I'm the master of Putt-Putt!
[ Laughter ] How'd you like that?
That was good. Great putt. Great speed. Hey, come on, man. Come on.
Good line. All right, let's just...
Let's do it. Take charge of this, Lukey.
[ Kenny Loggins' "I'm Alright" plays ]
Yes.
I'm a yes.
You're on your way. It's a yes.
Can I shake your hands? You got this.
-Thank you. -Good job.
♪ You got to give me a fight? ♪
Nobody gives me credit for my Putt-Putt, man.
Come on. That was serious. You did good with the putt.
I'm going to Hollywood Week!
Yeah!
♪ Don't nobody worry 'bout me ♪♪
♪ Hey-eh-eh, hey, eh, eh ♪
♪ I've been through the desert and I've been 'cross the sea ♪
Bella: My name's Bella Emry.
I'm 22 years old and I'm from Bend, Oregon.
♪ I've wandered through the trees ♪
Bend is beautiful. Lots of trees, lots of nature.
We don't have as many, like, big places to perform,
but that is the goal, rather than working,
which I work all the time.
♪ And now she's in... ♪
We are heading to Yoli,
the restaurant that I work at.
The service industry is not my dream,
but I feel proud of where I work.
I also work for my parents.
♪ Where could that girl have gone? ♪
They own a concrete restoration business.
So, Bella, can you make sure they get notice?
Yep.
No shade to my parents, but I'd much rather be singing
and I would love to make it my life.
[ Echoing ] ♪ Oh, once you get to know me ♪
I've been watching "Idol" since I was a little kid.
Now I'm doing it.
I am the most nervous I think I have ever been in my whole life.
Singing is second nature to me,
but I do not perform for people,
so this would be life-changing.
♪ My granddaddy ran shine in East Tennessee ♪
♪ I guess that's where I got my need for speed ♪
♪ I sell it illegal to people numbing their pain ♪
♪ I'm a little crazy, but the world's insane ♪
♪ Oh, once you get to know me ♪
♪ I'm a coyote in a field of wolves ♪
♪ And, oh, I'm a red-letter rebel ♪
♪ Some become the devil ♪
♪ When the moon's full ♪
♪ Yeah, the only thing keeping these tracks on the train ♪
♪ Knowing I'm a little crazy, but the world's insane ♪
♪♪
♪ I'm the house on a hill where the lightning strikes ♪
♪ Kids ride by scared on their Santa Claus bikes ♪
♪ Oh, then one goes missing walking right down on Main ♪
♪ I'm a little crazy, but the world's insane ♪
♪ And, oh, once you get to know me ♪
♪ I'm a coyote in a field of wolves ♪
♪ And, oh, I'm a red-letter rebel ♪
♪ Some become the devil ♪
♪ When the moon is full ♪
♪ Yeah, the only thing keeping these tracks on the train ♪
♪ Knowing I'm a little crazy, but the world's insane ♪
♪ Oh, I'm a little crazy, but the world's insane ♪
[ Music ends ]
Thank you.
That was great.
Thank you.
I'm surprised to hear you say that you don't perform.
I actually don't really do anything like this. [ Laughs ]
My heart's beating really fast. [ Laughs ]
You seemed very comfortable just telling a story.
Nobody was breathing when you were singing
and just kind of hanging on every word with you.
So, well done. Thank you.
Yeah. You're so raw and unpolished.
I wasn't expecting you to be able to really hold
our attention like that.
I mean, you didn't hit a bad note.
You held the guitar together really, really well,
and you delivered that song in your own way.
Thank you.
When you walked out, Bella,
the first thing I said was, "Very cool vibe."
[ Laughs ] Thanks.
And when you finished singing Bella, I said, "Very cool vibe."
[ Laughs ]
I believe the universe has been waiting on you.
Thank you so much. You are scholarship material, my dear,
and all I can say is,
if you can to hold that one time around,
let's see some more. It's a yes for me this trip.
Thank you.
I too would like to hear more of Bella.
So it is a big ol' yes for me.
Ah. Yeah. Bella, it's a hella yella.
[ Laughter ]
Thank you. It's a yes.
I love that.
Congrats! Thank you so much.
Welcome to Hollywood Week.
I'm pumped.
♪ I love it, it's just like a hurricane ♪
♪ Beautiful ♪
Now, for someone who doesn't do that,
how'd you just do that?
You know, I don't know. All right.
This is completely
and utterly outside of my comfort zone.
She just laid back and put that out there.
I love that.
I'm sure it will get even harder,
but I feel a little bit more like I can do this.
Like this is an actual possibility for me.
She was great.
♪♪
Let's do this. All gas, no brakes.
All gas, no brakes. Together:
All gas, no brakes.
[ Cheering ]
Shoulders back, head up. Squeeze your butt and smile.
Family pose in the mirror. One. Two. Three.
Prime time.
[ Laughs ]
I'll lose my mind. I'm gonna jump for joy.
Probably do a toe touch.
Probably pick my mom up or something.
I like your enthusiasm, your energy. Thank you.
You always had that. Yes, sir.
I try my best, you know. Look at life with optimism.
You know what I mean? Good. Yes.
If you're having a bad day, here's your guy.
Yeah. Right here.
Bartly: Seeing Ryan Seacrest,
I've heard your voice and seen your face through TV,
and now you're, like, right in front of me.
I'm so excited.
Today is the day to show whether, you know, you got it
or you don't got it.
Hello. Hey, now.
Hi. Hi. How are you?
Nice to meet you. You, too.
Like the look. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Tell us about yourself.
Well, hi, I'm Bartly, I'm 23 years old,
from Austin, Texas, and I do music for a living.
This is my full-time job.
I do three to four gigs, sometimes five a week
on a really busy week.
When did you start playing?
I started playing guitar in second grade.
I've been singing since I can remember.
My mom couldn't get me to be quiet.
I need my hearing aid on.
[ Laughter ]
You gonna in a minute 'cause you know he's loud.
My mom grew me up on Temptations,
Lionel Richie, Sammy Davis Jr.
It's so funny. I mean, I know Sammy's son.
Oh, really? And you could be the clone.
That is crazy. Very cool.
What are you going to do for us?
"Texas Sun," Leon Bridges.
Okay, let's hear it.
♪♪
♪ You say you like the wind blowing through your hair ♪
♪ Come on, roll with me till the sun goes down ♪
♪ Texas sun ♪
♪ Say you want to hit the highway ♪
♪ While the engine roars ♪
♪ Come on, roll with me till the sun goes down ♪
♪ Texas sun ♪
♪ Caressing you from Fort Worth down to Amarillo ♪
♪ Come on, roll with me till the sun dips low ♪
♪ Texas sun ♪
♪ When I'm far from home and the cold winds blow ♪
♪ Stuck somewhere with folks I don't know ♪
♪ 'Cause you keep me nice and you keep me warm ♪
♪ Won't you come on over, baby? ♪
♪ Can't wait to get back there again ♪
♪ Texas sun ♪
Heck yeah, man.
Very cool. Thank you.
Carrie: I love your voice. Thank you so much.
Song choice is gonna be paramount. Hit it on the head.
'Cause I feel like you already are entertaining
before you do anything.
Thank you. You know what I mean?
And it's like you're not trying too hard.
It's not gimmicky or anything.
Yes, ma'am. It's like just a cool style.
So I feel like, when people see you --
They're gonna expect something interesting and cool.
Yes. Right.
And that's what we kind of like here at Idol.
Somebody that isn't cookie cutter.
You're kind of unique to your own thing.
Thank you, sir.
Soulful top end, man.
Yes, sir. Soulful top end.
If you can make the bottom end,
the verse guy, the top end guy,
that's the key.
That's a voice up there that's so on the money.
Yes, sir. Thank you so much, y'all.
That was like some of the best advice I could have had.
You're at the University of Idol, man.
This is the best advice we're gonna ever give you.
This is a great class.
Carrie, what do you think?
I would like to hear more. I'm a yes.
Thanks. Luke.
Yes.
[ Laughing ] No!
It's a yes for me, man.
Oh, my God. No way!
You are going to Hollywood Week.
Oh, my!
Here you go, man.
Thank you guys so much.
It's so nice to meet you. Congratulations.
So nice to meet you. So nice.
I'm usually not one to be lost for words,
but right now I -- I don't even know what to say.
Here he comes with that golden ticket.
[ Cheering and screaming ]
All right.
[ Barking ]
He's funny.
Yeah. I love his personality.
Is there a name for that? What's that called?
The crooked chicken wing.
Crooked chicken wing. Okay. Old wrestling movie.
We would not get back up if we got down there.
At least me. I think so.
I'm Bartley, and I'm gonna be
your next American Idol.
That's it. Congratulations.
[ Piano playing ]
♪ Come to the end of the road ♪
Wow! This room is so fun.
This room is working it.
Where do you sing mostly when you're not obviously here?
Um, in my living room.
With an audience of...
Just him. Just him.
Yeah.
Together: ♪ To the end of the road ♪
♪ Still, I can't let go ♪
Here we go. Let's do it.
♪ It's unnatural ♪ Where am I going?
♪ You belong to me ♪
♪ I belong to you ♪
Lionel: Ah.
Hi. How you doing?
I'm about to start crying.
Don't do that.
Is it good tears?
Yeah. It's like nerves and tears and just being happy.
I'm just thankful to be here.
Boyz II Men just left, so I'm telling you.
Okay, then. Carrie: What's your name?
Chloe Lauren. Chloe, where are you from?
I'm from a very small town called
Warrenville, South Carolina.
Okay. Lauren: Yeah.
What do you do there? I'm a stay-at-home mom.
Ah. That's good. Why are you so emotional?
Because I'm so lucky.
I didn't think I'd ever get to be somewhere like this.
Aw. Oh. So sweet.
Carrie: Well, who came with you today?
I have my mom, my dad, my husband, and my two-year-old.
Wow.
♪ I saw the mountains and they saw me ♪
I actually started singing when I was probably about four.
I've always had the dream of being a singer.
♪ I swam the river... ♪
And then, you know, I met my husband, and we had a baby.
And with motherhood, yeah, I just stopped singing.
♪ ...to the mother that I've longed to ♪
And my husband would look at me and be like,
"Why don't you sing again?
Like, why don't you do something for yourself?"
This is day one of me posting myself singing.
I decided to start singing again,
and it led me to here, so...
♪ You feel alone... ♪
You all ready?
Woman: Ready to go. Sweet.
It's kind of empowering to me.
So I'm just -- I'm really lucky.
Woman: Well, we're going to give you some news right now.
Oh, my God.
We're gonna invite you to sing
for Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.
Congratulations.
♪ I held hope and the hope held me ♪
Now I feel like it's my time to find me again
and give myself a chance.
So I'm really thankful to be here.
It's a blessing.
I've never performed in front of people before, ever, in my life.
Lionel: Wow.
You know, you're gonna have to pull it together
to sing us a song. [ Laughter ]
Yeah, yeah, I know.
Okay. What are you gonna sing for us now?
I'm gonna sing "Maybe" by Sienna Spiro.
So... Ah. Very good.
Carrie: All right.
All right, here we go.
♪♪
♪ All I wanted was to be your hostage ♪
♪ For you to tie me up and never let me leave ♪
♪ If we're honest, it took the longest ♪
♪ Time for you to even notice I was here ♪
♪ You said you'd take me places ♪
♪ Then you kept me waiting ♪
♪ How the hell could I be so wrong? ♪
♪ And now I'm feeling jaded ♪
♪ I thought I was your favorite ♪
♪ I believed in you for so long ♪
♪ Maybe this time ♪
♪ You'll hurt like I do ♪
♪ You won't get no sympathy 'cause I got none from you ♪
♪ Couldn't make up your mind ♪
♪ Mine's not confused ♪
♪ Nothing left in me that wants to leave a space for you ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm not yours ♪
♪ It's not the same as it was before ♪
♪ Don't fantasize when you picture me ♪
♪ When you close your eyes, and I'm in your dreams ♪
♪ Don't matter to her, don't matter to me ♪
♪ Think I care, I don't ♪
♪ Maybe this time ♪
♪ You'll hurt like I do ♪
♪ You won't get no sympathy 'cause I got none from you ♪
♪ Couldn't make up your mind ♪
♪ Mine's not confused ♪
♪ Nothin' left in me that wants to leave a space for you ♪
♪ So maybe this time, maybe this time ♪
♪ Maybe this time ♪
♪ You'll feel like I do ♪
♪ It don't feel so good ♪
♪ When it's your turn in blue ♪
[ Applause ]
Whoo! Oh, yeah.
Oh! He's standing. Oh, yeah.
Yeah!
So I have a lot of emotions today.
So I was fighting through that one.
Yeah.
It's hard to find people with unique,
unique sounds and unique qualities.
You've got something amazing to work with.
And if I can just hold you in place.
I'm game. You know what I'm saying?
Don't look over your shoulder.
Just look in front of you. Yeah.
Okay?
The possibilities of you going forward in your life
could be amazing. Okay.
Carrie: You have a really special voice.
A lot of times, when we get voices
with that kind of texture,
they can't hit the high notes like you did.
Oh, thank you. When we give you confidence --
because we can sense that it's not all there --
I mean, I really think you can hit notes bigger
than you are hitting.
I can when I'm in my living room. [ Laughs ]
Just get ready to go for it.
Okay. Go for it all.
Yeah.
I'm a yes. Okay.
I am an excited, over-the-moon yes.
Thank you.
I, too, am excited. And it's a yes.
♪ It's just another day ♪
Ryan: Okay. Want to go in there and ride around a little bit?
Want to check out the track inside?
Chloe: I'm feeling all the feelings right now.
Just people like me don't get to come to places like this.
So it feels -- It feels emotional.
Hi, cutie. Buddy. Where are you going, bud?
He's on and he's off.
Carrie: He's like, "I don't need you people."
I see smiles.
And a ticket.
Whoo-hoo!
It feels kind of surreal to me
right now to be able to chase this dream.
Oh, yeah.
So, we're here, though, so I'm excited.
And I'm thankful.
Mom's got a ticket. Mommy's got a ticket.
You see it? He's like, "No."
♪♪
Woman: Welcome. Welcome to American Idol.
Ryan: Gearing up for Idol auditions is no easy feat.
You got to stay in the zone.
You ready? Yeah. I'm ready.
Prepare your mind, body...
[ Warming up ] ...and voice.
It's important to stay hydrated
so you're ready to hit center stage.
Okay. Let's go.
See you later.
♪♪
♪ Well, people always try to tell me ♪
♪ Just do what you wanna do ♪
♪ But I try to rely my mama's advice ♪
♪ And that's always gotten me through ♪
♪ And I've fallen short of glory at least a time or two ♪
♪ Temptation all around me ♪
♪ And I'm reaching out for you ♪
♪ I'm gonna fall ♪
♪ Down on my knees ♪
♪ And thank the Lord ♪
♪ For bringing me peace ♪
♪ I lift my hands ♪
♪ In His company ♪
Hey! Oh, whoa, ho!
♪ For He knows I am grateful ♪
[ Laughs ]
♪ For what He has done for me ♪
All while getting choked.
♪ Well, I praise the Lord ♪
♪ Oh... ♪
Do you know how far it is to that audition?
No. I like the effort, though.
I don't want to interrupt.
You can hear a voice? I think I hear a voice.
He's really loud.
♪ Well, well, well, I praise the Lord ♪
Whoo!
[ Laughing ] All right.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
That'll get you woke up.
I love your energy. Well, thank you so much.
Where'd that come from? I'm just so glad to be here.
I love to sing '50s rock 'n' roll.
I love to lead worship at my church.
And I love to do tae kwon do.
Awesome. Whoa!
I'm not sure you're there all the way vocally,
but, man, you hooked the heck out of me.
The moves on guitar is really, really great.
I wouldn't tell you to change a thing.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Your stage presence is electrifying,
but I don't want you to be a gimmick.
Take your vocals and your performances
really serious at this point. Yes, sir.
It's a yes. It's a yes for me.
Jayson, you are on the right path.
Work on the softer side of your voice a little bit.
But I will give you a yes.
I'm a yes. I'm on the train.
Yes! Wow!
Whoo-hoo! Wow!
Of course with the guitar.
Oh, that was right in your face. Boo-yah.
Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
Great. Actually, would y'all like me to teach you some tae kwon do?
My son takes tae kwon do, so I've sat through many a class.
Who wants to choke me? I do.
[ Laughter ]
Jayson: All right. So, we can do a kick.
I don't need to pull a testicle.
Don't worry, you won't. You're just gonna go up.
Yeah, just like that. There you go.
I finally found something I'm a natural at.
♪♪
[ Screaming ]
Lionel: Wah.
Oh.
No, no, no. Pillow fight.
He's a character. You hooked them in, huh?
Yes, sir. Congratulations.
Going to Hollywood Week.
Yah!
[ Singing in global language ]
♪♪
My name is Abayomi Lewis. I'm 15 years old.
I'm actually Haitian,
so shout out to my Caribbean people out there.
Come on, give me a high five.
You got this. I got this.
Hey, get it!
Best buddy!
My grandmother has always been telling me,
ever since I was little,
like, "I have to see you on that TV."
Like, with her Haitian little accent and everything.
The place that I was dreaming for.
Waiting for that moment.
And here you are.
♪ Right here, right now ♪
♪ There is no other place I would wanna be ♪
The women in my family are big inspiration.
They're very powerful. They are very strong.
They inspire me and motivate me to continue being who I am.
Lionel: I'm reading down here. What is this award winning...
Poet. I like to write a lot.
Poet. What?
In ninth grade,
my mother signed me up for a poetry competition.
And do those poems translate into songs often?
Yes, definitely. What do you plan to sing for the judges?
I plan to sing "Black Leaves" by Kirby.
I chose that song because it's a song
of empowerment for Black women.
That's where I truly connect.
[ Exhales deeply ]
♪♪
♪ Black leaves on the Mississippi River ♪
♪ Black leaves in the Mississippi fire ♪
♪ Black leaves in the Mississippi land ♪
♪ And we got God and cotton ♪
♪ We got sons and daughters ♪
♪ We got grit and glory ♪
♪ We got mama's stories ♪
♪ We got strength like towers ♪
♪ We got hope and power ♪
♪ Mm ♪
♪ See, God made woman with an iron hand ♪
♪ Raised her up from heaven's land ♪
♪ With strength like towers ♪
♪ We got hope and power ♪
♪ God made woman with an iron hand ♪
♪ Raised her up from heaven's land ♪
♪ God made woman with an iron hand ♪
♪ Raised her up in heaven's bed ♪
♪ Black ♪
♪ Leaves ♪
Thank you. Luke: Great.
15 going on 72.
Once you open your mouth,
everybody goes, "Okay. What's happening?"
You have some abilities far beyond your age,
and I'd like to give you my check.
Thank you!
You have the ability to captivate and milk moments.
Just a ton of potential here.
Thank you!
Your artistic approach at all of it,
I see a universe of potential for you.
It's going to be fun to watch.
Thank you!
I can vote with a very proud yes.
Yes.
Oh, my -- [ Laughs ]
It's a yes for me.
Yes. [ Screams ] Thank you!
Aah! Thank you. Oh, my God!
I can put this on my wall.
[ Laughs ]
♪ Even when I'm gone, oh, you are never alone ♪
There it is, I see it. [ Screams ]
I already know.
Yes!
That's what she does. She does.
She's special, dog. She is special.
She got that confidence.
I'm going to Hollywood!
♪ You are never a-- never alone ♪
The thing I love about American Idol
is its ability to take everyday people
and give them the chance to really chase their dreams.
You guys are real. We're real.
I've dreamt this since I was a kid.
I knew I was a performer ever since long ago.
Oh, my goodness. Where's your mother?
I'm only 14, but you know.
How's it going? We know you're from the country.
Oh, I am, I am.
I feel like I'm listening to the same person talk right now.
It's what you do, ain't it? Oh, my gosh.
It's what you do, ain't it?
Let me see this. What's his name?
Jackson.
Right. [ Laughter ]
I'm also an Idol superfan.
Who's your favorite Idol? Other than Carrie.
Adam Lambert. Oh, yeah.
My dad actually had to explain to me
that I wasn't gonna marry him
because Adam Lambert likes boys.
So then I became an ally.
[ Laughs ]
Carrie: Well, what are you gonna sing for us today?
I'm singing "In the Stars" by Benson Boone.
He was amazing on the show, and now he's, like, so big.
I mean, hoping that could be me. [ Giggles ]
♪ Now you're in the stars and six feet's never ♪
♪ Felt so far ♪
♪ And here I am alone between the heavens and the embers ♪
♪ No place for hiding, baby ♪
♪ No place to run ♪
♪ You pull the trigger of my ♪
♪ Love gun ♪
♪ Love gun, ow! ♪
♪ So don't get hateful, Lord, hot damn ♪
♪ There's a fire burning in the back 40 ♪
♪ They're still finding out who the heck I am ♪
♪ And I'm so tired of wasting it away ♪
♪ I'm gonna find the time to realize ♪
♪ I'm in deep on better days ♪
All right, Jackson. The moment of truth.
The part I see on TV.
Here's the deal. I'm nervous.
You're gonna be great one day,
but it's just a -- it's just a little bit away.
What?!
They said I needed more time.
I must tell you, this is the part I don't like.
You are definitely a performer,
but I don't think it's ready yet.
It's going to be a no for me this trip.
I was really banking on it. But it's okay.
I'll be okay. [ Sobs ]
♪ Oh, why did you get me so high to leave me so low? ♪
It's not "no" as the end.
So our job is to kind of nudge 'em up
to inspire them to come back and see us.
You have all the potential in the world, in the stars.
I will think about you probably for the rest of my life.
It is just a "not at 14."
Luke: I'm a no for right now.
Lionel: I'm going to be a no for right now.
But just don't take it as a no,
just as a deposit on your future. Okay?
♪ Oh, why'd you make me feel safe just to walk away? ♪
It's okay, baby. It's okay.
[ Sobbing ]
It was just, like, kind of hard to hear.
But don't let any no's get in your way.
You can always come back and redeem yourself.
Woman: Until next time. You did good, peanut.
I think, if she's that good, she'll be back.
♪♪
[ Squealing ]
Woman: How's it feel to be back?
I feel good.
Lionel: Ah! Hello.
How are you guys?
We know you.
Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
I'm Mary Jo Young, I'm 24 years old,
and I was on season 19 of "American Idol."
I'm excited to be back. Yeah. I'm excited.
The first time I auditioned for "American Idol,"
that was my first time singing in front of anyone,
including my mom.
And I was so scared.
Welcome back. Thank you. How are you?
I'm great.
I will never forget your performance with Benson Boone.
Yeah, and me forgetting all the lyrics
standing right next to him. Well, we don't have to talk about that.
♪ You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing ♪
♪ You say I am strong when I think I am weak ♪
When it came to an end,
it was a good kick the baby bird out of its nest.
Because I needed to go and grow.
♪ What you say of me? ♪
♪ Oh, no ♪
Luke: I remember loving your voice.
Thank you. So you made it to top...
24. Lionel: 24?
Got you. I feel like a new person.
I've been touring.
I've opened for Alex Warren, Jake, Jessie Murph.
I think my confidence has definitely grown, too.
Yes, you're going to get knocked down.
You might get knocked out.
Don't take it personal and just come back in the ring.
That's what it's all about.
I wanted to come back to "American Idol"
because I learned the most from being on the show
than I have on any tour.
♪♪
♪ You know, you broke my heart in two ♪
♪ You know exactly what you did to me ♪
♪ I've had it up to here with you ♪
♪ Know I don't wanna be at your pity party ♪
♪ 'Cause you've been running around running your mouth ♪
♪ Just like a track star ♪
♪ Telling all of your friends that it's been so hard ♪
♪ When you're the one who said you were done ♪
♪ Said you fell out of love ♪
♪ Boy, you must think that I'm dumb, dumb ♪
♪ You can call me psycho, you can call me a liar ♪
♪ You can call me an arsonist, I should set you on fire ♪
♪ You can call me a mess and say what you like ♪
♪ You can call me whatever you want ♪
♪ Don't call me tonight ♪
♪ Don't call me with that sad boy BS ♪
♪ Don't wanna hear the same sob story ♪
♪ Same sob story, yeah ♪
♪ You can call me a psycho, you can call me a liar ♪
♪ You can call me an arsonist, I should set you on fire ♪
♪ You can call me a mess and say what you like ♪
♪ You can call me whatever you want ♪
♪ Don't call me tonight ♪
♪ No, don't call me tonight ♪
♪ Don't call me, don't call me, don't call me ♪
♪ Don't call me tonight ♪
All right.
Carrie, that's your first go-round with Miss Mary Jo.
I liked it a lot. I like the song a lot.
Oh! And your voice.
It's got a different kind of tone to it,
but it's got some power under it
when you start going for the higher stuff.
Thank you. A lot of personality
in you and your voice, as well.
I tell people who are trying to get in the business,
you know, it ain't about singing, it's about surviving.
Ooh, I like that. And if you can get through that, that's the key.
I think you're doing quite well at surviving here.
Sounds great. Thank you. Thank you.
Life's been getting you a little bit,
but that's going to happen in the music business.
But, you know, there is a different air of confidence
to you that's totally new,
and we're glad you came back around.
And I'm glad to see your face again,
because I was a real big fan of yours.
Thank you. Ah. Very cool.
Well, I'm happy to see your guys' face.
Well, let's vote.
Lionel, what you think about Mary Jo 2.0?
I'll put it like this.
It's yes, again, for another time around.
[ Chuckles ]
For me, this is my first yes to you.
Oh, my gosh.
Another yes from me. Thank you, guys.
All right. You're going through to Hollywood Week.
Hollywood Week that way. Congratulations.
I got something!
[ Family screaming ]
I'm going into Hollywood Week way differently.
I'm much more prepared.
This golden ticket shows me
that it's always good to get back up and try again.
And I'm really proud of myself for it.
Lionel: Well, I don't know about you guys,
but I think we're heading down the right road
of a great season.
I think we're on to something.
Music sends you down different paths,
and you got to take the road it takes you down.
I don't know what we've just tapped into,
but 2026 feels good to me.
I think we cover a lot of ground stylistically.
Yeah. Like, there's a lot of different voices.
We got one more to go,
but I'm so happy for our blessings.
Impressive.
Time for the audition you've been waiting for. Let's do it.
Let's go. Okay, buddy. Good luck.
Appreciate you. You're closing us out, Luke.
All right, Lukey. Closing it out.
Bring it home.
Dang, this is so sick. I love this.
Hey. Hello.
This is crazy.
So you're the audition. You're the last audition.
That's crazy. That's crazy. That's crazy.
You guys look majestic.
Majestic? Yeah.
Well, thanks. Your hair is majestic.
Thank you. It's a lot going on, but --
I don't know if we've seen better hair, right?
It's pretty awesome. No, no, no.
All right, tell us who you are and where you're from.
Yeah, my name is Chris Tungseth.
I'm 27 years old and I'm from Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
And what do you do up in Minnesota for work?
Right now, I've been roofing houses.
Quickest work in a small town is usually construction, so...
Tell me a little bit about, you know,
why he's here and what this audition means to Chris.
Yeah. I mean, music's always been a part of our family.
We grew up watching "American Idol,"
and he's really turned to music
kind of as his way of getting his feelings off his chest.
Tell us about growing up, your home life.
Yeah. I just feel so fortunate.
Like, I'm so blessed.
I've been given the greatest family in the world.
Um...
Hmm. Yeah.
♪ You can look at a rose ♪
♪ Just any rose ♪
♪ Accept that it's perfect ♪
Growing up in Minnesota is the best.
Like, my childhood was so fun and so simple.
My dad, He studied opera and he was an opera singer
and then became a pastor and a worship leader.
And my mom was a pianist.
My siblings, we'd sing every holiday at church.
Everything that we did was, like, together.
♪ Called out their names ♪
But it started to take a turn when I was 10 years old.
My mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Cathy: Hi! It was pretty aggressive.
How are you? I'm good now.
Right away, my mom was in and out of the hospital.
She was four hours away.
My dad would be traveling back and forth
trying to take care of our family.
He was gravity to us.
He's the strongest person I've ever met.
He was my best friend. He was my...
kind of my foundation,
the person I turned to for advice.
12 years after my mom's diagnosis,
my dad was diagnosed with leukemia.
♪♪
Yeah, that was the worst thing I've ever heard in my life.
Like, Superman is no longer Superman, you know?
My siblings moved home to help me take care of them.
I mean, all of us put life on hold,
but there was nothing else that we would have done,
like that was honestly the biggest gift
for us to be close to them.
♪ I could look at a rose ♪
So, I'm going to be singing "Lonely Road,"
that I wrote for dad.
Love that. Nice. I mean, everyone says
how much you look like dad
and how much you resemble dad. Yeah.
Now, especially with him being gone,
his legacy is now living through you, through your singing.
♪ Flowers mixed with leaves ♪
♪ Flowers ♪
Pops... I wish you were part of this.
I wish you were here to...
see this thing go through.
But I'm just going to be me,
and I hope they see you through me.
♪♪
♪ I hit the lonely road again ♪
♪♪
♪ I know I missed my turn ♪
♪ I'm not the only one that's traveling ♪
♪ But I know that I'm far from home ♪
♪♪
♪ I guess I had to learn the hard way ♪
♪ I know that you did, too ♪
♪ How come no one has directions? ♪
♪ When we've all been down that same road, too ♪
♪ I still have a million questions ♪
♪ Only you got answers to ♪
♪ I don't really think that I will care for them ♪
♪ When I'm up in Heaven with you ♪
♪ Press on ♪
♪ We're gonna make it through ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm holding on to you ♪
♪ Ooh hoo ♪
♪ I'm holding on to you ♪
I love everything about you.
I love your presence. I love how open you are
in the way you talk communicate
and the way you sing communicate.
You have an incredible voice.
It's powerful and it's beautiful.
It's masculine, and it's soft at the same time.
[ Laughter ]
You kind of have all the things.
Just very impressive,
the gift that you have to work with
and the way that you work with it.
Thank you. Part of your singing
is going to be the things you say in between each song.
Yeah. You have a ministry.
Hmm. A real strong connection to people.
Thank you.
I was so touched by the fact that you said,
"I'm blessed. I'm grateful."
There was a point in my life
where I thought, "My dad's dying and my life's falling apart."
There was a little aid over in the corner of the hospital,
and I was talking to my dad. He was in and out of a coma.
He said, "You're very lucky."
And I looked at him and said, "What are you talking about?"
I said, "He's in a coma." And he said,
"I was just thinking I wish I had a dad
to love as much as you have."
Yeah.
It's a gift to hurt so much, you know,
because it means that something was important there.
Your ministry is right in place, man.
Thank you.
The timing of all this is the timing of it.
Right. Exactly. And we're not in control of it.
I had setbacks in my life that put my music career on hold.
And I matured and grew up during those years.
Yeah. It's really perfect to me what you're doing.
I've been in the room with Chris Stapleton a lot of times.
You've got those little vibes going on.
You've got that ability to whisper with soul
and turn it up.
You've just got a lot of stuff going on,
and don't be afraid to turn them loose.
Yes, sir. 'Cause we're going to be there every step of the way,
encouraging you.
Thank you, Luke. Lionel, what is your vote?
Yes.
Appreciate you. Absolutely, yes.
Thank you, thank you.
I think you're gonna go really high in this competition.
It's a yes.
Mm.
All the way from Minnesota.
Come on. Look at this! Oh, my gosh!
You're going to Hollywood Week.
Laura: You're so good. Chris: Thank you.
Danny: That was amazing. I love you guys.
So proud of you.
For us to be able to get to do this with you,
it's a memory I'll cherish forever.
Thank you.
Great job. Thank you so much.
Thanks for being here with us.
For trusting us. Of course.
You smell good, too.
Chris: I know my dad would be so happy.
And I know he'd be the first person cheering me on as soon
as I walked out that door.
Well, there you go. Congratulations, buddy.
Congratulations, Chris. Appreciate you.
You said your dad's laughing, looking down at this.
Oh, yeah. 100%.
Yeah, I think we can hear it. It's a belly laugh.
Yeah. Yeah. For sure.
There's a sign he's with you right there.
Yeah. Congratulations.
He's a teddy bear. He is really a sweetheart.
He's holding back.
He is holding back. Yes, he is.
He's got some Stapleton and stuff in there.
But not the gruffy stuff. Right.
It's like his own brand of soul.
♪ This is walking through our fire ♪
[ Line ringing ]
♪ This is learning how to live ♪
Cathy: Hey.
Hey, mama. Guess what?
What?
I'm going to Hollywood Week.
Oh! I got a golden ticket.
Oh, Christopher Paul Tungseth!
[ Laughs ]
You are amazing.
I love you, mama.
I love you.
♪ You just keep on going 'cause you have to ♪
Oh, I'm so proud of you.
Thank you, Mama.
I did this for you, and I did this for pops.
Oh, cool.
And you are awesome.
And I love you so much.
I love you so much, Mama.
♪ New country ♪
Ryan: Buckle up, y'all,
because next Monday, Hollywood Week begins.
It's showtime.
They'll have one song,
one shot to leave it all on the stage.
Luke: It's not for the faint of heart.
You either have it or you don't.
It makes my belly hurt. I feel like I'm gonna throw up.
And it's sink or swim.
Epic performances.
You have this go attack mentality.
You are a star.
The way you just sung to the whole audience
really warmed my heart.
Thank you so much. It's for you, baby. I love you.
With the biggest cut in "Idol" history.
I'm not sure that was the right song.
[ Booing ] Bring it on!
I love it. Your boos are feeding me.
I have no idea what just happened out there.
Sorry.
Only 30 will survive.
It's so hard having to cut this many, y'all.
Carrie: Oh, Lord have mercy.
I just wanted to come and sit and listen to people.
But you're the butcher now.
I really hope I did enough to make it.
I'm sorry.
And this year,
Hollywood Week looks a little different.
Because the biggest week of their lives
is happening in the biggest music town in the world.
Music City, you ready to rock?!
[ Cheering ] This is...
♪♪
[ Sobbing ] I can't. I'm s-- I'm sorry.