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American Idol has taken the competition to Hawaii, where the Top 24 contestants will be battling it out and receiving mentorship from a few familiar faces. One of those faces was American Idol alum Tori Kelly, who counseled the first 12 artists ahead of their April 7 performances. What season of American Idol was Tori Kelly on and did she win? Keep reading for everything there is to know about the former contestant, including how far she made it in the competition.
ABC’s American Idol is a popular singing competition that follows unknown artists from across the country as they compete for a recording contract and $250,000. The winner is determined by American viewers who can vote for their favorite artists. Created by Simon Fuller, the series originally ran for 15 seasons on FOX before it was canceled in 2016 and revived a few years later by ABC. Some of the biggest names in the music industry have come out of the show, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia Barrino and more.
Season 22 kicked off on Feb. 18, 2024, with returning judges Lionel Ritchie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry, as well as longtime host Ryan Seacrest. The season has featured plenty of talent aspiring singers, and the judges have pared down the competition to just 24 singers. Now, the viewers take the reins and will be determining who advances. During the April 7 episode, which was filmed in Kapolei, Hawaii, the Top 24 contestants got a special visit from former contestants Tori Kelly and Iam Tongi. Fans were already familiar with Tongi, as he won last year’s season, but not everyone recognized Kelly. Read on to learn more about the singer.
What season of American Idol was Tori Kelly on and did she win?
What season of American Idol was Tori Kelly on and did she win? Tori Kelly was a contestant on Season 9 of American Idol. The California native auditioned for the show at just 16 years old, performing a rendition of John Mayer’s “Gravity” for judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, as well as guest judge Victoria Beckham.
Cowell had some harsh feedback for the young singer, telling her: “I don’t think so at all, I think your voice was almost annoying.” The other judges disagreed, with Beckham noting that she had “the whole package” and “the best voice to date.” With three yes votes and one no from Cowell, Kelly advanced to Hollywood Week. For her second performance, Kelly teamed up with fellow contestants Maddie Penrose, Danny Jones, Mark Labriola and Kimberly Kerbow in a group dubbed “The Mighty Rangers.” The group delivered a performance of Ne-Yo’s “Closer,” but only Kelly and Penrose advanced. Following Kelly’s solo Hollywood Week performance, in which she sang Katy Perry’s “Hot n Cold,” she was informed that she did not make the Top 24.
Kelly did not let the elimination hold her back, though, and she continued to make music. In 2012, released her self-produced debut EP Handmade Songs. The following year, music mogul Scooter Braun became her manager and she signed with Capitol Records. She released her second EP, Foreword, in 2013 and her first studio album, Unbreakable Smile, in 2015. The latter ranked No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and its hit lead single, “Nobody Love,” ranked on the Top 100 chart. In 2016, Kelly was nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th Grammy Awards. Her second studio album, Hiding Place, was released in 2018 and won two Grammy Awards. She went on to release three more albums after that and another EP. She’s also collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the industry, including Ed Sheeran, Pentatonix and Lecrae, among others. In addition to singing, Kelly has lent her voice hit animated movies Sing and Sing 2, starring as Meena.
Now, she is giving back to the show that started her career. Although she herself didn’t make the Top 24, she was able to give Season 22’s Top 24 sage advice and helped contestants like Abi Carter, Jayna Elise and Will Moseley nail their performances. She also performed her hit single “High Water,” which was inspired by her 2023 hospitalization for blood clots. “I had a health scare last year, so I thought my album was done, and then when that happened I was like, ‘I need an inspirational song. I need something to kind of pick me up out of this place,'” Kelly told People of the song, which is part of her upcoming album. “Now, I just hope it can uplift other people as well when they hear it.”
Several fans commented on the YouTube video of the performance, noting that her return to the series was a full circle moment and proved the judges made a mistake in eliminating her. “Her being sent home as a contestant on idol then being a mentor is just iconic,” one fan wrote. “I think that rejection was the best thing happened for Tori. Cuz look at her now. Maybe there’s something going on that God doesn’t want to happen to her. Indeed, rejection is a redirection,” a second fan wrote. A third called out Cowell’s criticism of her, writing: “Eat your words, Simon Cowell!! Tori is such a beautiful, wholesome light! She is so gifted.” ️
Season 22 of American Idol airs on Sundays on ABC at 8 p.m. EST and streams on Hulu.
For more on American Idol, check out this gallery on the judges’ real-life partners.
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