‘American Idol’ Season 16: Auditions Part 4 Recap [SPOILERS]

The auditions continue in “American Idol.” The judges, namely Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan are having a hard time in deciding who will go to Hollywood and who will not. Take a look at the auditionees’ performance and see who managed to move on to the next level of the competition.

Trevor McBane

Coming into the auditions with an all-black outfit, Trevor performed “Colder Weather” by the Zac Brown Band. Trevor hails from Savanna, Oklahoma and his biggest fan is none other than his 81-year old grandmother.

Lionel loves the growl in Trevor’s voice while Luke admired him despite his imperfections in singing. According to Lionel, “it’s not the right note, it’s the real note.” So Trevor goes to Hollywood and probably tagging his grandmother along with him!
 

Genavieve Linkowski

Genavieve is an 18-year old aspiring singer from Goodrich, Miami. She played the piano while singing Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up.” Genavieve left the judges grinning all throughout her performance. Even though her voice needed a bit more improvement, Luke said that he hears magic in it. To Lionel, Genavieve reminds him of Celine Dion.

Kenedee Rittenhouse

Kenedee sang “I Told You So” to honor her favorite “American Idol” winner, Carrie Underwood. But the judges were not contented with her performance, so she decided to sing one of her favorite songs, “Firework.” Kenedee was lucky enough to get three yeses from the judges, but she needs to learn how to control her voice.

Brandon Elder

Brandon’s story is heartbreaking. He was born to a young mother who traded him for a car to a couple who also were not capable of caring for a child. His mother, Patricia then adopted Brandon. Patricia did everything to raise Brandon well, but she died in April 2016 due to breast cancer. Brandon dedicated his performance to his mom.

Brandon sang his original song called “Gone.” The lyrics of the song are meaningful and relevant. It’s no wonder that he can genuinely write from the bottom of his heart.
 

Cody Martin

Cody is the first ever contestant to pass the audition with a “Happy Birthday” song. It’s an unusual choice for an audition piece, but the judges commented positively about his great voice.

Victoria McQueen

You’ll surely believe in destiny once you get to know Victoria. She was born on June 11, 2002, the same day the first American Idol premiered. So this means that she’s an “American Idol” baby!

Victoria performed Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing.” She then got her ticket to Hollywood for hitting the perfect notes of the song.
 

Dominique Posey

Dominique Posey auditioned for “American Idol” with “A Song for You” by Donny Hathaway. Dominique is probably one of those aspiring singers who has a well-polished voice. The judges can’t help but clap for him at the end of his performance.

Lionel said that Donny Hathaway songs are not that easy to handle, but Dominique managed to treat it with care and ease.
 

Amalia Watty

Amalia hails from Anguilla, but she moved to New York hoping that she could reconcile with her father. Her move, however, didn’t turn out good, so Amalia used all the pain she felt to pursue music.

Amalia performed her rendition of “To Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan. Lionel didn’t only like her hair, but he also liked the uniqueness, range, and projection of Amalia’s voice. She is successful in getting three yeses from the judges.

Taryn Coccia and Payton Taylor

Taryn’s sister, Payton Taylor, played the guitar for her. Both of them can sing but according to Payton, “It is Taryn’s day” so she decided to give way. Taryn sang Jessie J’s “Masterpiece.” Taryn is supposedly the only one to perform, but then Katy requested if Payton can present and she was amazed upon hearing her voice.

Katy said “No” to Taryn and said “Yes” to Payton. Fortunately, Luke and Lionel gave two golden tickets to both of them to avoid the chance of ruining their relationship as sisters.
 

Samothias

Samothias auditions for American Idol with “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton. He started singing when he was in junior high school. His smooth and great voice helped him get through the auditions.

Marcio Donaldson

Marcio, from Compton, California, shared a touching story with the judges and viewers of “American Idol.” Marcio and his sister were put in a foster home when they were still kids. His sister gave birth to a baby boy but she cannot support the baby, so Marcio took care of him. He raised baby Rashaad like his son.

According to Marcio, he is auditioning not only for himself but Rashaad as well. He always wanted to give Rashaad a good life and be a good example to him. Marcio sang “Jealous” by Labrinth, and though he might not be a perfect singer, Marcio has a good voice and most importantly a good personality.
 
“American Idol” continues next Sunday, March 25th at 8/7c on ABC.