Incredibly, this year marks the 20th — yes, twentieth! — anniversary of when Kelly Clarkson won the first season of American Idol. The series has since launched many other superstars, including Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Chris Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, and most recently Gabby Barrett. But when Kenedi Anderson auditioned this Sunday, Luke Bryan told her, “You might be the biggest star we’ve ever seen.” Lionel Richie declared her “the next big thing in the music business” and Katy Perry proclaimed the 17-year-old was “born to be a star,” before the judges handed Kenedi a rare, coveted platinum ticket.
The platinum ticket is a new twist this season to celebrate Idol’s 20th anniversary, a “special upgrade” that fast-tracks a “best of the best” contestant straight past the first round of Hollywood Week. Only three of these shiny happy tickets will be handed out this season — on last week’s Season 20 premiere, the first one went to country crooner Huntergirl — and the decision must be unanimous among the judges. But Luke, Lionel, and Katy were in full and ready agreement after watching Kenedi’s stunning piano-cabaret rendition of the fitting Lady Gaga song “Applause.”
From the first note, Katy appeared both pleased and flummoxed by Kenedi’s sheer lung power and passionate delivery, breaking into a broad Cheshire Cat grin. Katy later jokingly (or maybe not-so-jokingly?) offered to be the golden girl’s manager and producer and declared herself a “Kennykat,” before dramatically whining, “I’m feeling threatened! [This season’s singers] are younger, they’re skinnier, they’re prettier… they sing really good! Siri, make an appointment at the plastic surgeon!”
But in all seriousness, Katy was 100 percent supportive of the high school ingenue, telling her, “Get ready to be your own hero.” Luke said Kenedi’s audition left his “head spinning,” and he told Kenedi, “I truly believe your musical journey for the rest of your life just started right here.”
Several other contestants’ journeys began Sunday, although only a couple of them may make it to the top 10 alongside new frontrunner Kenedi as the judges predicted. These were the other successful auditions of Season 20’s second episode:
She won the title of Miss America in 2016 (singing opera in the talent portion of the competition), and now she’s going after another title: The Next American Idol. I suspected that a beauty who entered the audition room carrying her crystal crown, whose biggest dream is to be the voice of a Disney princess, and who chose to sing not one but two Idol champions’ ballads for her audition would be grating and cheesy.
And she did attack the songs in a eager-to-please manner, the likely result of years of pageant training. Katy advised Betty to “take it down a little bit,” and when Betty grinningly bragged that she can perform “every type” of music, Lionel said, “I don’t want you to sing everything. I want you to have a style.” But the judges all thought Betty sounded credibly country on the Carrie Underwood song, and resident country expert Luke actually told her, “You don’t sing like a pageant girl; you sing like a real singer.” I do think Betty had a nice, sultry, rounded tone — or, as Katy put it, “a lot to work with.”
