“I’ve never wanted to be anything else but a singer,” Brenna Brigman of Arlington, Texas said on Monday (Feb. 16) night’s episode of Season 24 of American Idol.
Luckily for her, she shows plenty of promise to back it up. Idol judge Luke Bryan acknowledged her powerful voice, telling his fellow judges, “She’s got a thing there. She’s got a little star dust on her.”
Brigman may not have won the show just yet, but according to the country music superstar, she’s got “all the tools vocally.” Not only that, but Brigman has been preparing for her moment for years, having worked as a vocal coach for young children at Destiny Music Studio. She’s not just chasing her own dream; she’s helping shape the dreams of others.
For her audition, Brigman settled into the piano and delivered a rendition of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin.” Though she clearly has the instrument, the performance didn’t quite land the way she had hoped.
The song wasn’t enough to get Carrie Underwood’s toes tapping.
“You have a really great instrument. I felt like the piano was distracting me,” Underwood said. “I don’t know what it was or if it was like the drawing out of certain notes or something, and then getting back into some sort of rhythm on the piano. But I was like, I’m trying to follow, trying to follow. I can’t. I want to tap my toe, and I can’t do it.”
After requesting another song, Brigman stood tall and offered up an a cappella version of Maren Morris’ breakthrough hit, “My Church.” Without the piano to lean on, there was nothing to hide behind. And this time, she hit it on the nose.
She showcased her soul-soaked vocals while her range stretched effortlessly from soft, airy verses to full-bodied belts. She moved through intricate vocal runs with precision, adding texture and grit in all the right places.
“That was better. That was so much better. You have a huge range. You can sing softly, you can belt on the higher stuff. Definitely feel like there needs to be some fine-tuning in there, but I feel like you have one of the better voices that we have heard so far,” Underwood complimented.
“You’re a vocal coach, but I feel like if me and Lionel Richie left and you and Carrie had two hours, when we come back, you would be maybe a 100% more of a dynamic singer,” Bryan added.
“I think there’s so much promise. I love your vibe. It’s a yes for me,” Richie said, while Underwood added, “Make it two.”
“Make it three,” Bryan shared.
If that wasn’t exciting enough, Brigman’s students sent her a special video recording to share in the celebratory moment as she received her ticket to Hollywood.
“That is the best thing I’ve ever seen. My students mean the world to me. So many kids come in sharing their dreams with me, and it feels like me being here shows that with hard work and never giving up, anything’s possible,” Brigman said emotionally. “I can’t wait for my students to see me on their TV. I really hope they just see themselves in me.”
New episodes of American Idol air every Monday night at 8/7c on ABC and are available to stream the next day on Hulu.
