American Idol 2026 Audition: Julián Kalel Shares a Powerful Message with Mental Health Awareness Song
I thought the premiere had a strong group of singers, but when American Idol returned on Monday night (Feb 2) for a second episode, when I looked at my notes, I kept writing “wow.” and that was true with the final audition of the night, from 19 year old Julián Kalel from El Paso, Texas, which shared a powerful message.
Viewers learn during the clip that Julián was a stand out auditioner last season before he dropped out. Luke Bryan states, “I thought about him a lot” as Carrie Underwood asks Lionel Richie if he remembers the singer. Julian auditioned with his sister accompanying him on the violin, singing his song “Surrender,” which is about anxiety and depression. We get to see some of the unaired audition. Both of them confess to “blacking out” during the performance, but it went extremely well with Luke declaring, “he may win this thing,” and from what we see it was justified praise.
However, Julián ended up dropping out of the competition as there were concerns of him balancing the competition and his mental health. He was diagnosed with depression as a freshman, but has been battling it much of his life. His mom recalls him coming to them, saying, “I’m not okay,” and she said it was like a “knife to the chest” not knowing what was going on. Julián says, “music is my lifeline. It keeps me grounded,” adding, “I just knew I would regret it if I didn’t give this another shot” after the success of his first audition.
His sister joins him again, as he sings “Lone Guitar” which he wrote in a dark time, and he shares that the message is “as simple as stay one more day.” Julián is a super talented songwriter who is very good with his words, and he possesses a storyteller tone. The original is impressive and has a powerful message. His Americana style has crossover appeal, meaning he could wow the country audience, but also get votes from others. Julián is a true artist which should take him incredibly far.
Lionel says, “You were born enough.” Carrie states, “Everything about you is just honest.” adding, “that is something that is needed very much.” Luke gushes, “I think you are incredible. I think you have all the skills and tools of a great singer.” The judges give him a resounding 3 yeses as his parents join him in the audition room. Julián says, “I want to spread my message. You are loved and everyone is born enough.”
The other two standouts of the night were Braden Rumfelt who brought effortless vocals to “Girl Crush” and Hannah Harper who felt like a country pro with her original song “String Cheese.” Honorable mentions go to Ruby Rae who delivered a very technically sound version of “Vampire” and Sheldon Riley performing “Brother,” as he always seems to impress on the singing shows he appears on. Let’s hope this strong episode carries into the next one!
