Last night on Channel 7 and 7plus, the much anticipated return of “Australian Idol” began, featuring the country’s most promising vocalists competing for a Golden Ticket and a spot in the top 50.
Amali Dimond, 16, began the night by singing “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele for the judges Harry Connick Jr., Meghan Trainor, Kyle Sandilands, and Amy Shark. She moved Harry with her performance: “I love your voice, I really do. If you get voted through, we have a competition. Because you would be very, very difficult to beat.”
Sharin Attamimi, a Perth, Australia, café worker, performs a jazz cover of Silk’s “Leave the Door Open.” Ecstatic Meghan gave Sonic the first “yass queen” of the series. And even Kyle had a positive review: “It was a breath of fresh air. I either like it or don’t like it, and I loved it.” Sharin secured a Golden Ticket and her place in the top 50.
When 20-year-old Joshua Hannan sang “Brother” by Matt Corby, Meghan screamed. “I’m just like, fangirling. You just turned into a superstar in my face,” she squealed. Amy added her own personal praise for the aspiring star, before giving him her vote: “Not many people can pull off that song like Corby. He’s got a very incredible voice, and you remind me a lot of him.”
Connor Bulger sang the timeless hit “A Pub With No Beer” by Slim Dusty, complete with an Akubra and a mullet. Amy thought he wasn’t quite ready, but the other judges disagreed as Harry said: “I didn’t understand a frickin word you said the whole time, but like going to the opera, I feel something.”
Meghan visited Naomi Gipey, a 22-year-old student in Alice Springs, as part of her exhaustive search for Australia’s top talent in the spoken word arena. Naomi performed an acapella version of “Mercy” by Duffy while on a road trip with Meghan, and as a result, she was advanced to the top 50.
Ben, a guitar teacher from Brisbane, convinced the judges he was Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin with his performance of “Whole Lotta Love,” earning himself a Golden Ticket in the process. “You look like you couldn’t care less about being here, but when you started singing I was like man, that’s dangerous,” said Harry. Kyle added his own unique feedback: “The voice is interesting, but I also picture you nude in a butcher’s apron and me tied up on a steel table. So that freaks me the hell out.”
Not every singer was successful in winning the Golden Ticket; for example, law student and 19-year-old hopeful Imogen Ledell did not win over the judges and would not accept defeat gracefully. “The vocal was not great at all. You must know that it’s pretty woeful?” Kyle responded, before Harry added “I’m going to be honest with you. Singing is not for you.”
Last but not least, 27-year-old Sara Houston touched Harry with her honest performance of John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” and her story of surviving a cancer diagnosis and 32 operations.: “Personality, presence, heroism. This is what Australian Idol is all about and you have all those qualities.”
Hundreds of hopeful singers will be putting it all on the line tonight at 7.30pm on Channel 7 to compete for one of the final 43 golden tickets and a shot at the title of Australian Idol 2023.