American Idol 2026: Kyndal’s Heartfelt Original For Her Mom Earns Industry Platinum Ticket
American Idol aired an all new round on Monday (March 9) called the Ohana Round. Set in Hawaii, the Top 30 became the Top 20 by the episode’s end. Three groups were tasked with voting on platinum tickets which included Industry Tastemakers, the contestants’ families, and the contestants themselves. (Read our Recap).
One notable moment in the episode came from 29 year old singer from Indiana, Kyndal Inskeep, whose original song impressed the Tastemakers.
The Industry Tastemakers consisted of Dancing With The Stars pro Sasha Farber, social media personality Loren Gray, viral vocal coach Cheryl Porter, singing influencer Anthony Gargiula, social media reacting couple Terry and Kaniya, Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Shirley Halperin, and country radio host Kelly Sutton.
Kyndal performed an original song dedicated to her mother
Prior to her performance, Kyndal geeked out at the fact that Shirley, the editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone is in the audience. Kyndal told the crowd she is singing “Woman of Me,” an original song she wrote for her mom, Staci. Both her parents were in the crowd, and Kyndal shared that her mom “has been a backbone and a rock” in her life.
Kyndal noted that she clashed with her mom at times when she had a rebellious patch when she was 18, dropped out of school, and moved out to Los Angeles. Kyndal said, “I’m sure that really broke her heart” about her adventuring and falling “flat on her face”.
“I think that sometimes before you can watch someone fly you have to let them hit rock bottom, and it was the hardest thing I’ve done,” Staci said. Kyndal stated, “having a mother to love me enough to let me go, but to be standing there with open arms when I ran back, is a gratitude I can’t even fully express.”
Kyndal’s unique tone shone right from the opening. Cheryl Porter looked in awe, audibly saying, “oh God” after just a few lines of singing. The whole crowd appeared to be in tears too. It’s a beautifully penned song featuring the line, “Now she’s made a woman of me.”
Kyndal is a female version of last season’s Thunderstorm Artis
The way Kyndal’s voice broke in the chorus is what makes her voice special. It’s powerful, relatable, and her entire vibe felt genuine. She reminded me of a female version of last season’s Thunderstorm Artis in the sense that she is a storyteller who fully knows who she is as an artist.
Lionel Richie felt that, “her songwriting is incredible.” Carrie Underwood said, “I just want to hear more of your songs”. Kaniya said, “perfect. No complaints. That’s my ‘American Idol’.” Her mom beamed, “I’m so proud of her.”
Eventually, it is revealed that Kyndal is the industry tastemakers’ platinum ticket, joined by Brooks Rosser who was the family members’ platinum ticket, and the contestants’ pick, Jordan McCullough. They each advanced to the top 20 along with 17 others.
For me, Kyndal and Brooks, who showed off his one-of-a-kind tone with “Everywhere, Everything” by Noah Kahan, gave two of the best performances of the night, so I was very pleased by those choices. My other favorites consisted of Makiyah who I thought deserved a platinum ticket with her stellar soulful vocals on “Stand Up,” and Rae who continues to kill it, showing off her big vocals on “I’ll Be There.” Hannah Harper is another contestant who is a total pro and soared with classic country vocals on “Go Rest High On That Mountain.”
