‘American Idol’ Needs More Second Chances Like Fire Wilmore
The American Idol judges made Fire Wilmore’s dream come true, but she had to work hard for it — and that’s exactly how it should be. Fire auditioned for American Idol Season 21 in front of her 4-year-old daughter and didn’t make the cut. However, instead of telling her to come back next year, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie agreed to let Fire try again one month later. Here’s how Fire’s attempt at redemption turned out, and why American Idol needs more of these second-chance auditions.
Fire Wilmore returned to ‘American Idol’ after Katy Perry offered her a second chance
The judges first met Fire, 22, of Lawton, Oklahoma, when she auditioned for season 21 in New Orleans. She shared her story of growing up in state custody due to her mother’s drug addiction and having her daughter, Maja, when she was 18 years old, becoming a single mom. At the time of her audition, Fire supported Maja by working as a stripper. However, she knew she needed to get away from dancing, so she tried out for Idol.
Unfortunately, the judges didn’t love Fire’s voice enough to send her to Hollywood. She had the skill, but she definitely needed some vocal training. Lionel and Luke voted no. The rejection made Fire very emotional, and Katy saw how much she needed to go to Hollywood. So, she broke the rules and allowed Fire to audition again one month later in Nashville.
Fire took her second chance at American Idol very seriously. She sang every day until her next audition, which paid off. She won over the judges with an emotional take on “Love in the Dark” by Adele. Fire’s voice was by no means perfect and needed more work, but she had taken the judges’ advice to heart and made improvements. Lionel, Luke, and Katy decided to give her a shot in Hollywood.
Should second chances happen more often on ‘American Idol’?
Not everyone will agree with the idea of second chances on American Idol. After all, it’s a rule that contestants are not allowed to audition twice in one season. But should there be exceptions every so often? Some fans think so. Much like the idea of offering platinum tickets, Idol could have a select few “second chance passes” available for contestants who the judges believe have the potential to shine but need a bit more work.
As we saw with Fire, that extra month can make a big difference in both mindset and skillset. Telling contestants to come back next year might not motivate them as much as telling them to try again in a month. Those who really want the shot at Hollywood will take that shorter deadline to heart and do the work to improve.
Some fans argue a second chance is better than a ‘sympathy ticket’
American Idol is prone to accusations of pushing “sob stories” and handing out “sympathy tickets” based on one’s backstory, not their voice. Some fans discussed the idea of second chances on Reddit after Fire’s first audition. In one comment, a user argued that it would be much better than giving a ticket to someone who truly isn’t ready for it just because of the obstacles they’ve faced in their personal lives.
“I’ve seen people on [YouTube] complaining about how she should have gone through in this episode and I’m just like no, that would have been a pure-sympathy move to let her go through,” they wrote. “She needs to hit the books hard, so to speak; you can tell she’s probably never trained her voice before. If she didn’t get the extra month, she would have been obliterated by the competition.”
“I think a second chance for her is worth way more than a sympathy golden ticket because basically everyone gets those,” another person added.
Fans can keep up with Fire’s journey on American Idol Season 21 during Hollywood Week, which begins on Sunday, April 2 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. New episodes air on Sundays and Mondays, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.
