Mackenzie Sol is a TikTok star by day. The 23-year-old northern England native has amassed a following of more than 12.4 million by sharing humorous pranks he pulls on friends and family. (His artfully tousled blonde locks and blue eyes probably didn’t hurt Sol’s numbers either.) However, his stirring “American Idol” audition was certainly no joke.
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“didn’t expect THAT voice to come out of a Tiktok guy,” one user wrote on X/Twitter after watching Sol’s mellifluous rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me.”
“So we’re done?” another X user wrote after Sol’s audition, the first to air during Sunday’s (Feb. 18) premiere. “@MackenzieSol that’s it.”
Mackenzie Sol Captures Judges’ Hearts on “American Idol:” “You’ve Got Chutzpah”
Sol, who now lives in Las Vegas, set the bar high when he received a resounding “yes” from all three judges.
“You are singing from your God-given talent and not even aware of half the stuff you’re doing,” judge Lionel Richie told the 23-year-old. “And it’s working, man.”
A grinning Luke Bryan praised Sol’s entire performance, telling the contestant he had “chutzpah.”
“You just got the stardust magic personality,” Bryan said. “And then man, you’ve got a lot of vocal skills.”
“Idol” judge Katy Perry urged Sol to capitalize on the “soul” and “R&B in your voice.”
“I think if you put the character and the hard work and the talent and the timing,” Perry said, “and you mesh it all together, you could be in the top 10.”
Mackenzie Sol Surprised By Mother After “American Idol” Audition
Sol’s mother, Nicki, is his loudest supporter and often guest stars in his TikTok videos. However, Sol didn’t invite her to watch his audition. “I get too nervous,” he confessed to the judges.
Unbeknownst to Sol, his mother was waiting just outside with host Ryan Seacrest. She slipped into the room as her son struggled to tell the judges what he wanted to say to her.
“Why do you guys do this to me, man?” the tearful TikToker said. “Girls are gonna be watching this.”
“We love this!” Perry shouted.
“Your Baby Just Knocked It Out of the Park”
“Mamma Sol” stood beaming beside her son as he punched his golden ticket to Hollywood.
“Your baby just knocked it out of the park,” Bryan told the proud mom.
Featured Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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