Hollywood Week on “American Idol” has officially started!
During Sunday’s episode, the singers were divided into groups based on one of six genres: pop, rock, indie-folk, R&B, soul and country. After each member of the group performed solo, judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan decided who in the group would move one and who would be killed.
Among the contestants in the pop category was Claudia Conway, who took the stage swinging a new black hairstyle. Before introducing herself to the judges, the 16-year-old admitted that her first audition “was not my best”.
“I was very, very nervous and I had these doubts in my head saying to me, ‘You are not ready. You are not good enough, “she confessed to the cameras.” In my life, I am so focused on all the noise from people who hate me or my family online and on social media. “
To recap: Conway, who has more than 1.7 million followers on TikTok, auditioned with Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain”, but Judge Katy Perry interrupted her after a difficult start. After a stimulating conversation by Perry, in which the pop star told the teenager to “calm the storm” around her, the high school student redeemed herself with Adele’s “When We Were Young”, winning a gold ticket to Hollywood.
“(Perry) believed me, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that,” said Conway during Sunday’s episode. “Now I’m just drowning it out and telling myself that I can do this.”
Although Conway’s father, Donald Trump’s lawyer and fierce critic George Conway, accompanied her on the test, her mother, former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, went with her to Hollywood Week.
Conway and his mother did not always get along. The teenager described her unstable relationship at home on her social media channels and tweeted in August 2020 that she was seeking legal emancipation from her parents. The next day, Kellyanne announced her resignation from the Trump administration, citing the need to focus on her children.
“It’s normal for you to have different points of view than the people you love,” said the teenager, who made national headlines for posting TikTok videos criticizing former President Trump.
Conway added that he sees “Idol” as an opportunity to differentiate himself from his famous parents.
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“I’ve been trying to establish my own identity for some time,” she told presenter Ryan Seacrest. “Most people don’t know that I like music. Most people don’t know that I’m a singer, and that is very, very important to me.”
Although music is Conway’s passion, she admitted that her nerves were present for Hollywood Week. Even so, she stood out through a performance of Bishop Briggs’ “River” and was given a standing ovation by Kellyanne, who was enthusiastically watching her daughter in the audience.
“I have never performed on such a big stage,” said Conway after his performance. “That was crazy.”
But was it good enough to take you to the next round?
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“Hello, ladies and gentlemen,” Perry said to Conway’s group, which included other highlights from the audition Mary Jo Young and Colin Jamieson. “Sometimes you don’t know why you go ahead or stay behind. But I hope that with this news, you will find some form of trust. It will happen when it is to happen. Congratulations, you are in the next round!”
Kellyanne gave her daughter a big hug after the news and sang “Girl on Fire”, by Alicia Keys, to celebrate.
“Stay in politics,” Conway joked with his mother at the beginning of the episode. “I’m going to make the song.”
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Another outstanding performance came from Grace Kinstler, whose first audition for “Idol”, in which she sang “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & the Pips and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, it has accumulated over 3.4 million views on YouTube.
“I struggled a little with confidence,” said Kinstler. “I don’t fit the mold. I’m not super slim, but that doesn’t mean I’m not capable.”
Singing in the soul category, the 20-year-old college student moved on to the next round, after singing “10 Seconds” by Jazmine Sullivan.
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Other singers who moved on included Casey Bishop, Chayce Beckham, Alyssa Ray, Ronda Felton, Wyatt Pike, Anilee List, Xavier Washington, Althea Grace and Willie Spence.
The second round of Hollywood Week will air on Monday (8 EST / PST), where competitors will be paired by judges to perform duets.
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Contributing: Jeanine Santucci
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: ‘American Idol’: Did Claudia Conway survive the first round of Hollywood Week?