American Idol 2025 Preview: Season 23 Contestants to Watch
Season 23 of American Idol is under way with the official premiere airing March 9th. This season sees the return of host Ryan Seacrest and judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, with Season 4 winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood joining the panel.
American Idol 2025 Spoilers: Top 24 Season 23 Contestant List & Song Picks
Familiar Faces, including a Nepo Baby
A few names on the American Idol 2025 Top 24 list may sound familiar. Drew Ryn finished in sixth place on X Factor USA Season 1 in 2011. Che Chesterman finished 3rd on Season 12 of The X Factor UK in 2015.
Season 23 also features a couple of The Voice alums. Thunderstorm Artis come in third place on The Voice 18. Victor Solomon, an R&B singer from season 20.
Remember that one season singing competition Boy Band? It aired summer 2017. Mikey Jimenez aka MKY finished JUST before the final five were chosen!
French Canadian singer Olivier Bergeron competed on Star Academie.
And 22 year old country singer Baylee Littrell is the SON of Backstreet Boy member Brian Littrell.
This season’s casting is somewhat different than what we have seen in the past from ABC. There is no standout female singer that is a true country singer, and interestingly enough as a whole, it seems there are more powerhouse singers than country singers overall. Many of the vocalists feel like classic singing competition show competitors. We are in for a great season!
Amanda Barise
Amanda is a 26 year-old seasoned singer who is based in New York City. She has been performing since a young age, and graduated from The New School in New York where she got a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree in Jazz & Contemporary Music. When she was younger, she won a few competitions at the Apollo Theater in New York City. She is an extremely versatile vocalist who often puts funk and jazzy spins on hits. Her 2023 single, “Fall For You” is a slow funky soul number with 786K streams on Spotify. The singer has a few viral covers like a funky rendition of “Defying Gravity” with Third Reprise that got 333K likes and 4.7 million views on Instagram which actually features fellow contestant Kyana Fanene on backing vocals. Her cover of “Creep” on Tik Tok got 647K likes and 3.6 million views.
Amanda is likely to be the power house front runner right from the start especially given that she got the first promo singing spot with her singing “It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” by James Brown for her audition.
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“Defying Gravity”:
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Baylee Littrell
Baylee is a 22-year-old from Alpharetta, Georgia. If the last name Littrell sounds familiar, it is because he is a “nepo baby,” and the son of Backstreet Boy member, Brian Littrell, and model and lesser known actress, Leighanne Littrell who has helped manage his music career. As a 6-year-old, after some sickness, it was revealed through a few interviews that Baylee was diagnosed with Kawasaki Syndrome which causes blood vessel swelling.
American Idol 2025: Backstreet Boy confirms son Baylee Littrell auditioned
Although his dad is a pop singer, Baylee is more of a country singer. His song “Boxes” from 2019 has nearly 1.9 million streams, and it even has a full-on music video. He went on to perform the song on the Today Show. Some of the songs from his 2019 album, “770-Country” have writing credits from former Florida Georgia Line member, Tyler Hubbard. Also, he made his Broadway debut at the age of 13, playing twins Ben and Lisa in Disaster!.
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“Lady May” Cover:
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Breanna Nix
Breanna is a health coach and stay-at-home mom from Denton, Texas. She has one account where she shares her singing and another where she shares about fitness and weight loss journey. She lost over 100 pounds. In her singing videos, where she tackles various Christian music songs, she is accompanied by her husband Austin on the piano. She is passionate in the way she sings, and has a lot of power and range in her voice with a little bit of grit there too. Breanna has been featured in a promo highlighting Carrie Underwood, plus ABC recently previewed her audition.
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“In Jesus Name (God Of Possible)” Cover:
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Canaan “CJ” Hill
Canaan Hill is a gospel singer, preacher, and comedian from Waxahachie, Texas. The singer has a very powerful voice with great ability to hit complicated riffs and runs. He has had the chance to perform alongside a few well-known Gospel names. One includes a viral video that he posted of when he sang a duet at the age of 15 with Grammy nominated singer, Jekalynn Carr, of her song, “Greater is Coming.” Additionally, he sang “I’m Still Here” by Grammy award-winning singer Dorinda Clark Cole of The Clark Sisters in an Instagram live to Clark herself.
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Ché Chesterman
Last year, some viewers were upset when Scarlett Lee’s only aired performance was her audition. But for fans of the X Factor UK, another finalist is coming from overseas to compete on Idol, and that is 28-year-old, Che Chesterman who placed 3rd on Season 12 of The X Factor UK in 2015, when he was just 19.
His audition of Jessie J’s “Who You Are” got Simon Cowell to stand, and he ended up wowing UK viewers in several rounds due to his soulful take on both oldies and current hits where he displayed a crazy good falsetto. Since his time on the show, he has released three songs on Spotify, and has had some viral Tik Tok covers including one of Lewis Capaldi’s “Forget Me” which garnered 1.3 million views and 118K likes. He’s not the most original singer, but his range, when he takes it to the next gear, allows for him to stand out in a competition atmosphere.
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“Forget Me” Cover:
Desmond Roberts
Desmond Roberts is a singer-songwriter from Orange County, California, and he is a 2021 graduate of the Berklee School of Music. He also is a teacher of a School of Rock program. According to a few bios I found on him, he has been singing since the age of 3. Desmond isn’t the strongest vocalist of the bunch, but he has a storyteller quality to his voice that is able to evoke emotion. And his slightly higher pitched tone is unique. He’s able to blend R&B, soul, and even a little bit of folk into his music. He’s a talented musician, being a multi-instrumentalist who plays both the piano and guitar. His style gives off a bit of a John Mayer vibe even if his voice isn’t all that similar to John’s.
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“Come Home” Cover:
Drew Ryn
Drew is a 28-year-old, originally from Chino Valley, Arizona, who is now based in Nashville. If she looks vaguely familiar, that’s because she was the 6th place finisher on Season 1 of X Factor US at the age of 14 as Drew Ryniewicz. She performed a fan favorite audition of “Baby” by Justin Bieber. Additionally, she delivered one of the best versions of “It Must Have Been Love” in singing competition history during the Judges House round.
Since her days on the X Factor, she has become a content creator and viral social media singer with 2.2 million followers on Tik Tok, and her take on the Do Re Mi challenge earned her 103 million views and 6.1 million likes. She also had a collaboration with fellow influencer and pop singer, KINGS which went viral, called “Skeletons” with nearly 5 million streams on Spotify.
There’s definitely going to be comparisons of her voice as a child to now as an adult, and here’s my assessment; her tone may not be as unique as it once was, but vocally, her technique has grown a lot, and she is going to be a force to be reckoned with if given the right songs. Her original music sounds like a pro who is simply waiting for her break. She is one of the more marketable contestants given she has proven she has personality, and she can deliver solid pop songs. This may be mentioned in her audition, but it hasn’t been easy for Drew, which she has been open about. In late 2023, she began to battle some health issues with her lungs which made it so she was unable to sing for a few months.
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GRWM for Audition with American Idol:
Filo Ebid
Filo Ebid is a 23-year-old soulful pop singer originally from Egypt, who received the Platinum Ticket during New Year’s Rockin’ Eve this year when Ryan Seacrest and Carrie Underwood presented him with the ticket.
He is a 2023 Music Performance graduate of the University of Pacific, and has since graduated with a masters from the Berklee School of Music where he completed his program at their Valencia, Spain campus. While at college, he played title roles in productions of The Threepenny Opera and Into The Woods. He sings with a round and full tone, and has the ability to take on a lot of classic songs, so that should suit him well in the competition. Based on the videos I’ve seen of him, it is tough to envision who he wants to be as an artist. I hope that blossoms on the show. In a promo, it is revealed he will be singing “Try A Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding for his audition.
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“Anything Worth Holding Onto”:
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Gabby Samone
Gabby Samone is a 23-year-old pop and R&B singer from Baltimore, Maryland. She appeared on the Jennifer Hudson Show as part of a partnership that Jennifer did with Southwest Airlines where she sang “Natural Woman.” Through this partnership, she won 10 roundtrip flights to help her get to her gigs. She is an explosive vocalist, able to tackle big numbers and hit soaring high notes.
For her age, she is extremely accomplished, having opened for Keke Wyatt and Kelly Price, starring in a production of Dreamgirls, as well as re-recording “Go The Distance” for Disney’s Reimagine Tomorrow series. She also has gained attention from Mariah Carey, and even performed in front of her at the Recording Academy Honors which were honoring Mariah.
Gabby has also built up a solid following due to some viral videos like a rendition of the National Anthem which got 1.1 million views and 222K likes on Tik Tok. Her original music is very pop forward, so it will be interesting to see if she tackles some more pop music on the show, as most of her covers are of very classic ballads. In a promo, it is revealed that Gabby and her parents became homeless during Covid.
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Grayson Torrence
Grayson Torrence is a 21-year-old alternative pop singer-songwriter from New Kent, Virginia, and she often gigs in the area. She’s from a military family, and according to her website bio, music has helped her get through some tough times including enduring bullying in school, as she was homeschooled starting at the age of 13. Her original music blends soul and jazz into her alternative pop sound and seems to have some influences from singers like Billie Eilish. Grayson isn’t the strongest vocalist, but her tone does stand out especially while singing dark pop ballads. If she can perform some of her original music and shows her artistry, she could connect with viewers and be a potential dark horse.
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Isaiah “Makk” Misailegalu
Isaiah “Makk” Misailegalu, who is known as Samoan Silk on social media, is a soul singer from Las Vegas. He is currently a senior in high school where he is on his high school football and men’s volleyball teams. His voice is so silky smooth. There has been a resurgence in old-school soul sounds in pop music with Teddy Swims having a breakout year which should help Isaiah’s style resonate with viewers. He also reminds me of Allen Stone. Isaiah simply has raw talent, as his runs come off as not overdone, relaxed, and pure. With a tone like his, he is likely to be a front runner. The only thing that could catch up to him is a lack of experience, as I was unable to find any clips of him singing on a stage.
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“How Deep Is Your Love” Cover:
Jamal Roberts
Jamal Roberts is a 27-year-old gospel singer who is also a physical education teacher, from Meridian, Mississippi. He had two stints on BET’s Gospel singing show, Sunday Best, making the top 20 in Season 9 and getting 3rd place in Season 10 in 2020. A clip of him singing a Gospel version of Tyrese’s “Stay” went viral on Instagram garnering 1.1 million views and 118K likes. Jamal is a gifted vocalist and sings with a ton of soul and passion, hitting runs and riffs flawlessly.
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Sunday Best “Forever” Cover:
John Foster
John Foster is an 18 year-old Nashville based classic country singer from Addis, Louisiana. In 2024, he graduated as the valedictorian of his high school. He has a deep country crooning sound that doesn’t feel modern, but the older country audience will likely eat it up.
Even if his singing style feels a bit safe, he is good at what he does. John has shared the stage with country singers who had hits in the 1980s and 90s like John Schneider and Doug Stone. He also has the ability to write emotional songs that tell a story like his song, “Tell That Angel I Love Her” which was about losing two of his friends. He’s another one who it is tough to tell how much experience he has performing on a stage, but given his bio mentions sharing the stage with other professional singers, he probably has a decent amount of experience.
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“Don’t Close Your Eyes” Cover:
Josh King
Josh King is a singer-songwriter from Charlotte who plays piano and harmonica. He performs a lot at the Charlotte Airport and hospital. He is a bit of a throwback, novelty singer Each season seems to have one of those types of singers that goes far. Think Season 20’s Tristen Gressett, Season 21’s Zachariah Smith, or even the entertainment factor that Season 22’s Kayko brought. His piano playing is impressive, and his singing style brings elements of blues and jazz into it which is reminiscent of Elton John’s style. Josh has performed with some well known blues artists and was mentored as a child by Grammy award-winning artist, James Cotton.
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“You Are So Beautiful” Cover:
Kolbi Jordan
Kolbi Jordan who also goes by Koko Gwen on social platforms is a 25-year-old singer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The singer was presented with a platinum ticket at the Tennessee Titans game at the beginning of November where she sang a brief portion of “Lady Marmalade” in front of the crowd and was joined by Ryan Seacrest and the three judges on the field. She has been performing for years locally and has starred in productions of Shrek, Mary Poppins, and Newsies. Kolbi has had a few videos go somewhat viral on Tik Tok including one singing Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” which gained 327K views and 111K likes. Her style is classic R&B and soul, so it’s tough to know how well it will do in a 2025 era American Idol setting.
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Kyana Fanene
Kyana is a 27-year-old pop and R&B singer and actress originally from the Bay Area of California who now lives in Brooklyn. She attended the Berklee School of Music and has minor actress credits in movies like CODA and Daddy’s Home 2. Additionally, this isn’t her first rodeo in competitions as her group, Vocal Rush, placed 3rd place on NBC’s acapella competition, The Sing Off in it’s 4th and final season, which occurred 12 years ago. She sang the lead during their quarterfinals performance of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds.” Kyana may have my favorite tone of the season as it is rich and reminiscent of singers like Leona Lewis and Emeli Sande. Her originals showcase her style, including “7 Minutes,” a collaboration with Jackie Evans which proves her voice is studio ready.
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“She Used to Be Mine” Cover:
“Against All Odds” The Sing Off:
Mattie Pruitt
Mattie Pruitt, a singer from Eagleville, Tennessee, is the youngest contestant of the season at just 15 years old. The singer began posting Tik Tok videos at the age of 12 which went viral. She has 132K followers on Tik Tok to date. She describes herself as country-soul, but she doesn’t really come across as country. It will be interesting to see what route she takes on the show.
She has the type of tone–raspy and full of character–that cuts through. It’s why it has the ability to go viral on short singing clips like her take on “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims which has 3.4 million views and 585K likes on Tik Tok. She’s a bit raw which is expected at the age of 15. But her versatility and tone could take her very far.
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“Lose Control” Cover:
MKY (Mikey Jimenez)
Mikey Jimenez, who goes by the stage of MKY, is a 25-year-old Latin pop and R&B singer from Los Angeles. He was a contestant on ABC’s short lived Boy Band in 2017 where he made it to the top 8 and was cut just before the final 5 were placed into the final group.
Since the show, he has built a solid following on Tik Tok with 210K followers. One of these videos includes a viral duet of “Put Your Head on Your Shoulder” with his dad who is also a talented singer. He’s bilingual, so he often sings in both English and Spanish and based on his music and music videos, he is definitely still trying to work in that heartthrob lane. His voice is very smooth, and his music gives off early 2000s R&B vibes, especially on songs like “Let Me,” his latest release. MKY appears to be using American Idol as a launching pad, as he works with Bobby Dee Management who has worked to some extent with artists like Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg.
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“Chains” Top 8 Boy Band:
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“Heaven on Earth” Live in LA:
Olivier Bergeron
Olivier is a French Canadian singer from New Brunswick, Canada. He made the semifinals of the Canadian TV singing competition, Star Académie. The majority of his music is in French, so it’s tough to critique the emotions and enunciation of his voice as a non-French speaker. But what I can tell is that he has a nice hint of rasp and smokiness to his tone, and his music seems to be a mix of storytelling indie pop and folk.
But he does some have some country covers, and his voice does fit that style, so I wonder if he will pursue that genre since country music is so big in America. His tone is reminiscent of James Blount. A few Canadian contestants have made it fairly far on the show like Nicolina and Tyson Venegas, but some others have been voted out pretty quickly. I believe Oliver is the first French Canadian finalist.
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Penny Samar
Christina “Penny” Samar is a pop singer from Williamsport, Pennsylvania. She graduated from West Chester University where the singer was a featured soloist of the acapella group Under A Rest A Cappella. Now, she serves as the music director of the group which was a 3rd place finisher in the ICCA mid-atlantic wildcard semifinals in 2024.
She can be spotted in numerous promos for the show sporting pink hair. Penny also appears to be a Chappell Roan super fan as her fan base is called the “Pink Penny Club.” It makes sense that one of her most viral covers is a Cup Song spin on “Pink Pony Club” which earned 275K likes and 1.8 million views on Tik Tok.
Her original song “I don’t know what I’m feeling” shows her artistic abilities as she is a crafty songwriter with a cool pop style. And although her voice may not be the most powerful, it feels very now.
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Slater Nalley
Slater Nalley is a 17 year-old country singer from Atlanta, Georgia. His audition was the first to be shown in full as a part of a first look of the season. In his audition, his English teacher, Ms. Davis introduced him. Slater wrote a poem that turned into an original song about Ms. Davis’s son, Carter, who passed away 8 years ago. He didn’t know Carter but was able to translate the story of loss remarkably well into a song. His audition is full of emotion and raw talent, with judge Carrie Underwood breaking down, and all three judges impressed by his songwriting ability.
American Idol 2025: Carrie Underwood Cries After Slater Nalley’s Powerful Song
Slater is in the realm of artists like Zach Bryan who bridge folk, rock, and Americana styles with country music. His tone is unique with a lot of gravel. His vocals are raw and could use some polishing, but in this style, rawness often works well and translates to feeling. Slater could be a favorite to win the whole show.
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Viral Jersey Giant Duet:
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Thunderstorm Artis
Thunderstorm is a 29-year old singer originally from Oahu, Hawaii. He may look familiar as he finished in 3rd place during the 18th season of The Voice, the infamous Covid season. He’s actually the 4th contestant from that season to compete on American Idol (the others are Megan Danielle, Allegra Miles, and Michael Williams). He has shared the stage with Jack Johnson and the Zac Brown Band, and opened for Train during their 2023 summer tour.
American Idol 2025: The Voice Fan Fav Thunderstorm Artis Heads to Hollywood
On The Voice, he was more of a folk singer, but most of his original music is more in the realm of anthemic soul pop, and Christian Contemporary music. His Grey’s Anatomy version of his original “Stronger” has over 14 million streams on Spotify, and has a very strong hook showcasing Thunderstorm’s pleasant tone which has a hint of rasp and a lot of soul. Due to his previous experience, he feels like a pro and I expect him to do well under pressure.
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“Is This Love” Performance:
Victor Solomon
Victor Solomon is a 26-year-old gospel and R&B singer from Peoria, Illinois. He placed 5th in Season 20 of The Voice on Team Legend. He even got John, who in the past has been picky about singers singing his songs, to turn his chair for a rendition of “Glory.” His vocals are always passionate with the ability to deliver growls that are often present in Gospel music. He also is able to strip his vocals back, and deliver something soft with a deep tone, as evident in his cover of “Hallelujah” performed in Budapest.
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Zaylie Windsor
Zaylie Windsor is a 17 year-old pop singer from Gila Valley, Arizona. She is a talented young musician, with the ability to play guitar, piano, ukulele, and bass. Although she hasn’t released any music yet to streaming platforms, Zaylie feels the most current and ready to become an artist, out of any of these singers. Yes, her vocals may not be technically as sound as some of the others, but her style definitely has influences from current pop singers like Olivia Rodrigo and Gracie Abrams, while still having a style that feels very herself, melding some alternative pop-rock sounds with current pop sounds.
She is also a composed performer, who had a viral moment on stage a few years ago, when her music cut out while performing “Underneath The Tree” by Kelly Clarkson. Zaylie continued on, and the clip has 2.1 million likes, and 9.9 million views to date. She could very well be the dark horse of the season.
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Many of the contestants this season are near the age limit, so they bring more years of experience and are more seasoned vocalists. If I had to pick out a few contestants to go far, I would say Slater Nalley, Isaiah Misailegalu, and Thunderstorm Artis are likely to be front runners. ALso Amanda Barise and Gabby Samone’s vocal chops could take them far even if their styles aren’t always the type that America tends to vote for. And Zaylie Windsor could be a dark horse as her style stands out amongst the rest of the cast.
