In a new episode of the hit series, viewers feel suspense as the judge is seen making an exception for one contestant, who brings her daughter to her audition, by giving her a second chance.
- March 20, 2023
AceShowbiz - "American Idol" returned with a new episode on Sunday, March 19. In the episode, viewers felt suspense as judge Katy Perry was seen making an exception for one contestant by giving her a rare second chance.
The contestant, who goes by the stage name Fire, opened up about her life struggles. The 22-year-old shared that her mother was a drug addict and that was why she was "put into state custody" at a young age. Fire also claimed that she's a stripper.
She additionally revealed that she became a mom herself at age 18 and motherhood brought joy in her life. She even brought her adorable 4-year-old daughter during her audition. "The world's not designed for single moms to be successful, so I did what I had to do," she said. "I need to do better. I need to get away from dancing. I need to do this for me. I need to do this for my daughter."
Fire opted to sing Bruno Mars' "Talking to the Moon" in front of the judges, who also included Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. "I just think you need to be pushed," Lionel commented. "The more you discover, you won't even think about being nervous."
As for Luke, he said that he appreciated Fire's story, but wanted more from her singing. "I wanted your voice to be more," he said. "You've lived in such complicated backgrounds and scenarios, maybe this show, and we as judges, could push you and encourage you to really go for it. Vocally though, it wasn't as good as I was hoping."
Katy, meanwhile, noted that Fire "nailed" the vocal exercise the judge put her through. However, she said that "there wasn't enough fire" in her audition.
The "Roar" hitmaker gave Fire a yes, but Lionel and Luke gave her nos. The audition got more heartbreaking when Fire's daughter ran over and took a golden ticket off the shelf before bringing it to her crying mother to comfort her.
As Fire calmly asked her daughter to return the ticket, Katy approached her to offer her something that the judges rarely gave after casting their final votes. She gave Fire a second chance, inviting her to see the judges again in Nashville in a month for another audition. "That's where you're gonna show us what the fire is, OK? I know you didn't name yourself that for nothing," she told Fire.
Fire unsurprisingly burst into tears over the generous offer. "I'm not just somebody that's just been through a lot of stuff," she said. "I'm working hard. And I need it. I need to change my life. I don't want it. I need it. I'm going to put in everything I got."
