Sonika Vaid has survived the infamous Hollywood rounds of the reality-TV singing competition American Idol. The 20-year-old Indian-American student survived back-to-back eliminations on Thursday and Friday, when the remaining 51 contestants were trimmed down to 24.
Vaid impressed the judges with her solo covers of Ariana Grande's One Last Time and Celine Dion's I Surrender.
“She has a pretty tone,” said judge Keith Urban. “She just has to get the performance thing happening.”
Jennifer Lopez agreed, telling Vaid: “You gave a great performance, vocally. But we worry, in that there was something missing in your performance. There’s something that needs to come alive — and that’s what we argue over.”
After informing an ecstatic Vaid that she had made it to the top 24 show next week, Harry Connick Jr told his fellow judges: “There are people who have voices that personally just touch you — she has one of those voices.”
Vaid lives in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, with her Indian parents, who both emigrated to the United States. Throughout all the previous rounds, she has been accompanied by her mother Anna Vaid, who would watch tearfully in the audience.
“This week has been nothing like I thought it would be,” Vaid said in an interview. “It’s unreal how much you have to put into this — hard work, motivation, drive. You should really want it.”
She added: “I want this so badly. This is a huge chance for me to be able to pursue the dream that I’ve always had.”
Aside from Vaid, early favourites in the competition include belter La’Porsha Renae, crooner Mackenzie Bourg and rocker Dalton Rappatoni. 16-year-old Filipino-American Anatalia Villaranda failed to make the cut.
American Idol's latest season is its 15th and final edition.
artslife@thenational.ae
