By this point, American Idol has become something of an American institution.
We all know the format of the show. In the early stages, singer-songwriting hopefuls audition for a panel of three judges to see if they get accepted onto the show.
As the show progresses, the chosen contestants compete against each other and the audience at home votes to see who will be kept on the show. At the very end, someone is crowned the official American Idol, at which point they are given a record contract and industry contacts.
And as we also all know by now, that are certain strategies that participants adopt in order to further themselves on the show.
Though it definitely takes talent to be on the program, there’s an additional element of strategy and skill that goes into the auditions.
It starts with presentation and confidence, and it continues with choosing the right song. Beyond that, there’s also a certain special, unpredictable factor that can get you even further.
Often, that missing ingredient is a unique connection with the judges—and that’s just what one contestant did recently in his audition.
The performer we’re talking about is Walker Burroughs of Birmingham, Alabama.
As he walks into the audition room, the judges ask him where he’s from and to introduce himself.
When it all starts, he’s got a great energy and confidence that everyone picks up on right away. After that, he walks over to the piano and does his first song, “Love Like This” by Ben Rector.
The chords he plays are beautiful and when he starts singing, his voice is measured, controlled and professional. Though it’s clear from the beginning that he has a great voice, he still brings his own style to the performance as well.
In this first stage, the judges all raise their eyebrows at the talent they’re seeing.
Needless to say, the first part of the performance had already a serious impression on the judges.
After that, there’s still time to talk to the judges. At that point, Katy Perry tells him that he is probably “top 10 material,” at which point he is taken aback.
After that, judge Luke Bryan asks Burroughs if he happens to know any Lionel Richie songs. Though he hesitates, it’s only for a moment. After that, Burroughs asks, “May I?”
With that, he heads back to the piano for a second song.
In the second part of the audition, he starts into a confident performance of “Hello.”
Even though he hadn’t even planned on playing it, it’s clear that Burroughs is an absolute natural on the piano as well as vocally! All the judges can’t get enough of his performance. When his brief audition is over, the judges tell him that he’s going to Hollywood.
When it’s all over, he hugs the judges and his parents rush in to hug and congratulate Burroughs as well. As it turns out, his whole family are huge Lionel Richie fans! As this performance shows, there are plenty of different elements to a successful audition.
Congratulations to Walker Burroughs on his amazing performance! Watch the full thing in the clip below:
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