Ever since her “shocking” elimination in ninth place from American Idol in 2011, after starting season 10 as a favorite, Pia Toscano has had a career full of ups and downs. But now, the singer is getting ready to finally release her debut album, I’m Good on October 14.
Now, she drops “Walk Through the Fire” the second track from the album, co-written by Usher and Nasri (frontman of MAGIC! and songwriter for Justin Bieber, H.E.R., Halsey and more). “Usher and Nasri provided such a safe space for me to tell my story authentically and I couldn’t be more proud of the outcome,” Pia told Billboard magazine.
Pia struggled for a decade
In a first person piece for the outlet, Pia describes the highs and lows of the past decade. After the singer left Idol, Interscope signed her to a record deal. But after recording over 60 songs, she only released one before the label dropped her. Another cut she fought to be her single, “Heart Attack,” became a hit for Demi Lovato.
She also shared a story about going through with a gig with David Foster, despite suffering from laryngitis. After the performance turned out a disaster, Foster ghosted her for 7 years, until they reconnected at a Christmas party thrown by Jennifer Lopez.
Jennifer served as a judge during Pia’s American Idol season. And Pia says thank God, because one of the times she tried and failed to advance past the American Idol judges, Simon Cowell called her “uninteresting.” Not only did Jennifer say yes, but she took an interest in the singer, eventually hiring her as a back-up singer for her tours and Las Vegas residency, which helped Pia learn the craft and make powerful relationships in the industry.
After reconnecting to Foster, he invited Pia to join his Hitman tours. She recently toured with Andrea Bocelli and performed a few Las Vegas dates with America’s Got Talent alum Daniel Emmett. Additionally, Pia has a feature role in the upcoming feature film called 1660 Vine.
“To all of my resilient warriors out there who walked through the fire, while facing adversity but continued to fight on… this song is for you!” Pia wrote on social media. “We may have some bruises and scars but we are stronger now because of it!”
