‘American Idol’ Season 21 Episode 4 Recap: Mariah Faith’s Audition Lands Her Opening Spot for HunterGirl, Noah Thompson
American Idol Season 21 Episode 4 brought another round of auditions in Nashville, New Orleans, and Las Vegas. Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie heard the unique voices of a chicken farmer’s daughter, a birth chart reader, and more. David Archuleta dropped in on a video call to calm a fan’s nerves. One lucky contestant even got to open at Noah Thompson and HunterGirl’s concert. Here’s a recap of Sunday, March 19’s auditions.
Mariah Faith’s audition ended with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Mariah Faith, 21, of Conway, South Carolina, found a best friend in her stepfather. He knew immediately that Mariah’s voice needed to be bolstered. When Mariah’s stepfather died, she knew that she had to honor him by auditioning for American Idol.
She sang “Whenever You Come Around” by Vince Gill, showing off her soft voice — but it was a little too safe for Katy. The judge had Mariah sing Bonnie Ratt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” instead, giving Mariah a chance to unleash her inner lion. With some encouragement from Katy, Mariah ad-libbed her own runs, letting her incredible range shine.
Luke said he had chills from Mariah, who was “on the edge of greatness.” Lionel agreed that Mariah’s potential could “take you all the way.” Katy called Mariah star, and this star is off to Hollywood. And not only that — Mariah got the chance to open for season 20 finalists HunterGirl and Noah Thompson at their concert the next day. I thought Mariah deserved to get the final platinum ticket on top of that, but the judges held out for another recipient.
PJAE showed the judges his newfound confidence
PJAE, 23, of Lawton, Oklahoma, shared that he struggled with confidence for a while because he was bullied for his weight and personality growing up. However, music helped him find strength in who he is. He’s now 150 pounds lighter and ready to take on American Idol.
PJAE auditioned with Madison Ryann Ward’s “Mirror.” After his rendition, Luke explained that the judges had seen a lot of singers who didn’t have an “emotional connection” to their music, but PJAE “slayed” it. Katy added that she got chills from PJAE’s “angelic” performance, and she can’t wait to see what he does next. She even suggested that he could make it to the Top 24. PJAE and his mom were both emotional as he grabbed a golden ticket to Hollywood. Take that, bullies.
The judges heard ‘a Christian Chris Stapleton’ audition on ‘American Idol’ Season 21 Episode 4
Warren Peay, a 23-year-old appliance repair technician, lives a small-town life in Bamberg, South Carolina. He’s been playing music for 10 years and serves as a worship leader at his church. However, he hasn’t yet had the chance to play on a bigger stage.
Warren auditioned with Zach Williams’ “To the Table,” accompanied by his acoustic guitar. He has the country twang that America loves. He also looks like he could be Chris Stapleton‘s brother, according to Katy, so that’s a plus. All three judges gave a standing ovation for Warren, and Katy called him “authentic.” She hopes to hear more texture from his voice in the future. With a “hell yes” from Katy and her co-stars, Warren is going to Hollywood.
Some singers gifted the judges snacks before their auditions
Carina Deangelo, 25, of Kailua, Hawaii, brought meatballs to her audition. Meanwhile, Johnny Knox, 26, of Huntsville, Alabama, brought homemade sourdough bread. Both singers are going to Hollywood.
Paige Anne, 16, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, brought snowcones to her audition. She performed Pink’s “What About Us,” showing off her mature voice and rasp on a slowed-down piano rendition.
Paige has dreamed of this moment since childhood, and she’s long been a fan of David Archuleta. The American Idol alum surprised her with a video call and gave her some advice to get through her audition with minimal nerves. Katy didn’t think Paige was ready at first, but she improved by the end of the song. Lionel agreed and chose to gamble with Paige. Meanwhile, Katy said no, but Luke gave her a chance after suspenseful deliberation.
Ophrah Kablan nailed an Aretha Franklin cover on ‘American Idol’ Season 21 Episode 4
Ophrah Kablan, a 20-year-old nail tech from Clio, South Carolina, auditioned with Aretha Franklin’s “Baby, I Love You.” The judges bobbed their heads along with the singer’s church-worthy vocals. Ophrah’s impressive runs and rasp had Lionel saying “Hallelujah” after her performance. The judges then took the room to church as they sang about how it “took too long” to find Ophrah’s talent on American Idol. Lionel, Katy, and Luke sent Ophrah dancing to Hollywood.
Lionel Richie helped a contestant power through nerves on his song
Kamron Lawson, 21, of Beckley, West Virginia, works as a cashier at Walmart. He auditioned for Idol while at work one day. Kamron had never left his home state before, but he felt ready to sing in front of the judges, wherever it took him. He performed a slowed-down cover of “Take on Me” by A-ha, showing off his range on those high and low notes.
Despite its beauty, Katy and Luke said Kamron’s cover was too “tame.” He tried to move on to Lionel’s “Truly,” but nerves got in the way and made him panic. The judges helped Kamron calm down enough to give the song a shot. His nerves were definitely still there and affecting his pitch, but he improved later in the performance.
Lionel complimented Kamron’s control, but Luke said he needed more confidence. Katy argued that he just needed to be around other singers. She said there was “something sparkling” about him, so she gave a yes. This made Lionel and Luke change their minds, and they sent Kamron to Hollywood.
An artist gets a rare chance to audition again on ‘American Idol’ Season 21
Fire Wilmore, 22, of Oklahoma, brought her 4-year-old daughter with her to the audition room. She shared the story of her pregnancy at 18 years old, noting that she didn’t have much support. Today, Fire supports her daughter as a strip club dancer, but she’s ready to get away from that life. She auditioned with Bruno Mars’ “Talking to the Moon.”
Katy had Fire try out a falsetto, though she sounded a little pitchy and her voice cracked. Luke said he wanted her voice to “be more,” and Katy agreed. Lionel and Luke said no, but Katy wanted to give Fire another chance. She gave the singer a rare opportunity to audition again in Nashville a month later. Fans will have to stay tuned to see how she does.
Other auditions in ‘American Idol’ Season 21 Episode 4
Nailyah Serenity, 22, of Charlotte, North Carolina, loves jazz, makeup, and her mom, who is her best friend. She also reads birth charts, and she used that knowledge to give Scorpio advice to Katy. She then auditioned with “My Man” by Barbara Streisand. Nailyah’s Broadway-worthy vocals brought Lionel to his feet, and Katy said she loved the twists Nailyah put on the song. All three judges voted yes to send her to Hollywood.
Kayleigh Clark, 17, of Sumrall, Mississippi, is the daughter of a chicken farmer. (But can she cluck like Carrie Underwood?) She also loves hunting and fishing, which immediately hooked Luke, of course. Kayleigh auditioned with “The Dance” by Garth Brooks. She was slightly shy and quiet, but Kayleigh had potential. The judges let her sing another song — “I Surrender” by Hillsong Worship — and Katy coached her to bring up the volume and power. Luke said that with some work, Kayleigh could become a Top 10 contender. Katy said no, but Luke and Lionel gave her the chance to improve in Hollywood.
Tori Green, 20, of Corona, South Dakota, covered “Cry Pretty” by Carrie Underwood in a quick clip of her audition. Luke said no, but Katy and Lionel sent Tori to Hollywood.
Owen Eckhardt, 19, a veterinary student from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, loves animals and music. He auditioned with “Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan, using both an acoustic guitar and a harmonica. The judges smiled through his performance as he showed off his country twang. Katy compared Owen to Elvis Presley, and Lionel said he needed some work to become a better storyteller. He can improve in Hollywood. To celebrate, the judges brought out dogs!
New episodes of American Idol air on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
