Indio, California native Abi Carter is going to Hollywood after an amazing audition with the American Idol judges, who upgraded her ticket from gold to platinum at the end of the show. Abi was the final audition of the night, and she received a standing ovation for her performance of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”
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Accompanying herself on the piano, 21-year-old Abi performed the wistful song with incredible precision. When she was finished, Katy Perry approached her, asking “What were you made for? You were made for this.” She, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie didn’t even have to vote—it was an immediate ‘yes’ from all three of them.
Abi’s family came rushing in after they heard the applause, hugging her tightly in a group hug. She shared that she is the second oldest of seven children with a single mom, who gifted her the piano she would use to busk at the Palm Springs markets when she was a teenager. Two of her sisters, her mother, and her brother were in attendance, and their display of support and love for Abi had Luke Bryan wiping away a tear.
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Luke Bryan Tells Lionel Richie “This Could Be the Winner of ‘American Idol’”
In an aside to Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan admitted that Abi “could be the winner of American Idol.” She impressed the judges so much that they gave her one of three platinum tickets to Hollywood.
Richie, for his part, stated that Abi’s audition was “The best thing we’ve ever heard on this show.”
Back home a week later, Abi was celebrated by her community and the Palm Springs mayor, who presented her with the platinum ticket and a greeting from Katy Perry. Abi has the full force of her family and her city behind her, and if the judges’ reactions are anything to go by, she has the potential to give the other contestants a real challenge. Definitely, she’s going to win the hearts of Americans watching at home, if she hasn’t already.
“What Was I Made For?” is already a haunting and emotional song, but Abi put her own spin on it, singing it in her personal style which made it shine in a new way. It definitely charmed Katy Perry, who shared before the audition that she loved that song.
Featured Image by Amy Sussman/Getty Images
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