American Idol 2024 audition: NYA is no ordinary Broadway singer as she slays Willow Smith’s ‘Wait a Minute’
American Idol hopeful NYA described herself to the judges as a “superstar….a singer, actor, dancer, musician.” At the time of her audition, the Idol hopeful was performing on Broadway in New York CIty.
Ut oh! The judges–Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan–are typically hyper-critical of Broadway singers when they audition for the show. However, while NYA shared that she performed in Titanic as a background singer and swing–sometimes, she playing the Iceberg–she proved to the panel that she’s so much more. “I sunk the ship every night!” NYA joked.
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Originally from Kenya, Nya lives in Florida, but she has traveled all around, she explained to the panel. Also, while she currently lives in New York, she doesn’t consider herself soley a Broadway performer. “I do all kinds of things to make that bread!”
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She performed Willow Smith’s “Wait a Minute” with a big and expressive voice, putting her whole body into her performance. She is obviously somebody who is used to performing to the back row. But she’s not over the top. Lionel, in particular, is entranced. Other than a few pitch things, she’s got the goods.
“What you have are the goods to go all the way,” says Lionel Richie
Luke called it “maybe my favorite audition all year” and noted that she does not sound Broadway. “You are actually a massive singer, a massive personality,” Luke complimented her laugh, which Lionel called “so open.” He said, “All I’m going to say to you is that you have effortless control. Your personality is already defined. We know who you are as an artist.” Lionel continued, “What you have are the goods to go all the way.” He also calls it the “best audition so far this year.”
Katy can imagine NYA singing with a wind machine blowing her hair. Cue an assistant who brings out a tiny office fan. Katy crouched down on the ground, while NYA sang a bit more.” Luke shouted, “We need better fan work!” Katy called the bit “a little taste of stardom.”
The yeses kicked off with Katy who said, “There is no de-NYA-ing your are a star.” OUCH. Lionel picks up the joke (unfortunately!) “There’s no de-NYA…it’s a yes from me.” Luke decided to be normal, giving the singer a simple yes. Next stop for NYA–the Hollywood Round in Los Angeles!
See Nya’s audition when American Idol 2024 returns for Auditions 2 on Sunday Feb 25 at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC.
