Episode two of American Idol’s 20th season is in the books and based on the reaction from the judges to one contestant, the rest of the season is all but a formality.
Listen to music from American Idol alumni and other standout reality TV contestants on Audacy’s TV’s Top Talent
Of course, things will change and the rest of the season will surely shake out in Idol’s classic dramatic fashion.
This season of American Idol introduced the platinum ticket, a ticket that allows the recipient to bypass the first round of Hollywood week. Last week’s debut episode saw Huntergirl, real name Hunter Wolkonowski, get awarded the first Platinum ticket in the show’s history.
Who’s the big winner this week? Strap in and let’s discuss. As always, spoilers are included below.
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17-year-old Kenedi Anderson from Crozet, Virginia was the star of the second episode and took home a Platinum ticket with a stunning piano-led rendition of the classic Lady Gaga song “Applause.”
Stunning may be an understatement as Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry were thoroughly blown away by her performance as they gave Anderson a standing ovation. “My head is spinning,” Bryan said as Perry immediately interjected stating that she’s “feeling threatened.”
“I don’t know how you haven’t been recruited, but you check every box and a lot of all of them,” Perry said. “Get ready to become your own hero.”
“Hallelujah!” Richie exclaimed. “We can sit here all day long and sing songs. What we’re looking for is the next thing in the music business. You have graced us because [of] your voice, your look, your sound. If that’s 17 years old… Congratulations, you’ve answered our prayers.”
Luke Bryan then issued a bold claim that none of the judges felt the need to push back on. “Well I believe you might be the biggest star we’ve ever seen,” Bryan said. “No doubt, I believe top 10.”
“She was born to be a star,” Perry then said. Check out Anderson’s performance below.
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