Carmen Lorell Martin, a 20-year-old nanny from El Dorado Hills, California, didn’t walk into her American Idol audition alone on Monday, Feb. 2. The young talent brought with her a very familiar face, who just so happened to be a family member, too. She was joined by her aunt, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Britani Bateman, with whom she lives and whom she credits as a major source of inspiration.
“She’s definitely still her silly self,” Martin said of her aunt. “She’s a little crazy, and I love it. Britani has always been a huge mentor to me, telling me to get out there. She has her own spotlight. She’s living her dream, and that’s why I’m here too.”
Bateman, for her part, had nothing but praise for her niece, telling judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, “She is music. I mean, she radiates music out of her pores.”
Before Martin even let out a note, Bateman honored her with a grand introduction, tapping a wine glass to get the judges’ attention. She said, “This is my beautiful niece, Carmalita. That’s been her nickname since she was born.” Then she asked, “Do you know me? I’m Brittany. Brittany Bateman.”
When Luke Bryan hesitated, Martin jumped in to help: “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.”
“Yes, but this is not about me,” Bateman quickly added. “This is about my amazing, gorgeous, perfect niece, who you’re about to hear, and it’s insane.”
Underwood jokingly pointed out the knife Bateman had been using to tap the wine glass, quipping, “Well, if we don’t have good things to say, she has a weapon.”
Moments later, Martin took center stage, seated at a white grand piano. Launching into a tender rendition of Ty Myers’ “Thought It Was Love,” she showcased her emotive vocal tone and impressive range, and flaunted a softness while gliding through the melody. As she sang, Bateman wiped away tears from her eyes.
“You have a really pretty voice,” Underwood told Martin afterward. “Your range is really great. You’re hitting some high notes, but it would be great if you could put a little more oomph into it.”
Hoping to give Underwood the oomph she was looking for, Martin then revealed she and her aunt had prepared a song together. They quickly delivered a powerful version of “Let Me Be Your Star” from the musical SMASH, trading lyrics and harmonizing effortlessly. While their close bond was evident as they shared the spotlight, Bateman was only on hand to offer her niece full support.
And, while the judges applauded the performance, Bryan offered a critique, telling Martin, “We’ve just got to get you to cut loose a little bit. I think the piano is forcing you to be very proper.”
Richie added, “The only way she’s going to understand what it means to rough it up is to put her in a brawl. And the only way to put you in a brawl is to say ‘Yes.’ So you go to the next level and meet the rest of this crazy class.”
With Richie’s seal of approval, it was up to Underwood and Bryan to reveal Martin’s true fate.
“I think your voice has definitely earned you a ‘Yes,’” Underwood said, “but I want to see some fire.”
“Lemme see the glass,” Bryan exclaimed, taking the wine glass and giving it a celebratory ding. “I need you to come get your golden ticket.”
American Idol is currently in its second round of auditions, which means there is plenty more to come. Tune in to new episodes every Monday at 8/7c on ABC. The show is also available to stream on Hulu.
