American Idol Recap: Season 24, Episode Three - Auditions
- Zach Watkins
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The third episode of American Idol released on Monday, featuring the first auditionee from Belmont University.
In this episode, host Ryan Seacrest along with Belmont alum and American Idol season six top-3 contestant Melinda Doolittle searched Belmont's campus, asking students to sing in between classes in hopes of finding the next American Idol winner.
After mini a cappella performances from multiple students, including an appearance by the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella winners, the Pitchmen, Belmont sophomore Jackie Bluebird wowed the pair and ended up in front of the judges.
After singing “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse, Bluebird impressed the judges enough to make them "roll the dice" on her, ultimately awarding her a golden ticket to Hollywood Week.
The excitement did not end there.
The other contestants brought powerhouse performances as well, with rock music being a major theme of the episode.
Madison Moon showcased this by starting off with “Creep” by Radiohead.
Then, after the judges wanted to hear more of the “harsh vocals” she sings regularly, she switched to “The Kill” by 30 Seconds to Mars.
After her growling performance, Carrie Underwood noted that Moon was one of her favorite contestants.
In addition to showcasing talent, the episode featured major emotional beats, as both Lanii and Roelle cited their families as the reasons they came to American Idol to chase their dreams, though each for different reasons.
Roelle’s mom even flew from Puerto Rico to Nashville to surprise her daughter at the audition after six months apart.
Nineteen contestants from the episode walked away with a ticket to Hollywood Week:
Jordan McCullough
Noah Orion
Isaiah Moro
Brett Carlisle
Madison Moon
Philmon Lee
Livy
Miyoko
Vincent Fondale
Lanii
Jackie Bluebird
Nyla Martin
Christian Brown
Julianne Post
Trew The Star
Kutter Bradley
Kayla Finch
Kiera Howell
Roelle
“American Idol” airs Mondays at 7 p.m. CT.
This article was written by Zach Watkins