Former Voice contestant Mia Matthews wowed Jelly Roll and American Idol judges with a Holly Dunn cover during Monday night’s Top 24 round.
For the first time this season, American Idol contestants are vying for public votes. During Monday night’s episode, the last 12 of the Top 24 hopefuls brought their A-game in an effort to land in next week’s Top 20.
Mentored by country super star Jelly Roll, one of the night’s singers, Mia Matthews, earned praise for her cover of Holly Dunn’s hit song, “Daddy’s Hands.”
Mia Matthews first appeared on The Voice as part of a family trio with her mom and sister at Worth the Wait. The trio chose to join Team Blake after earning a four-chair turn with a cover of Linda Ronstadt’s “When Will I Be Loved.”
Worth the Wait was eliminated following the Live Playoff round, but their Voice appearance earned them other opportunities that included an invitation to play at the Grand Ole Opry.
For American Idol‘s 22nd season, Mia and her sister, Jacy, both auditioned. While both earned coveted Golden Tickets to Hollywood, Jacy was eliminated ahead of the Top 24 announcement.
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Mia Matthews’ Top 24 was especially meaningful due to the fact that the round was filmed in Hawaii near where her father was raised.
“My dad lived just 30 minutes away from here,” she told Jelly Roll. “This is my first time here. He passed away before we were able to come. It’s been a really emotional and meaningful trip. This place is very special.”
Matthews chose to sing “Daddy’s Hands,” a song made popular by country singer Holly Dunn in 1986, in honor of her dad.
“My dad was a carpenter and I remember his hands a lot,” Mia said. Jelly Roll wiped away tears as she sang the song for him and shared that he had lost his own father in 2019.
Following Mia Matthews’ “Daddy’s Hands” performance, the singer was praised by mentor Jelly Roll who said, “It was as emotional as it was in rehearsal. And to see you get vulnerable at the end and just really let that loose was so special.”
The judges agreed. Lionel Richie applauded Mia’s ability to portray her emotion through the song and called it a moment he would remember.
To vote for Mia Matthews, follow the instructions below.
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Watch Mia Matthews’ performance in the video below.