Remember Hailey Mia From The Voice? She’s Now On American Idol
A former Voice finalist just won over the hearts of all three American Idol judges.
Hailey Mia was only 14 years old when she came in fourth place on Season 21 of The Voice in 2021. She was a member of Kelly Clarkson’s team. Her fellow teammates, Girl Named Tom, won the season.
Funny enough, Clarkson was the first singer to ever win American Idol (in 2002).
During her time on The Voice, Mia wowed the coaches and viewers with her soaring performances. She covered songs such as Sia’s “Elastic Heart,” Duncan Laurence’s “Arcade,” and The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You.”
Mia is now 16 years old, and wanted to give things another try, this time on American Idol. The Clifton, New Jersey native auditioned at judge Katy Perry’s former music school in Santa Barbara, California.
This made her performance extra meaningful, because Mia performed one of Perry’s songs.
Hailey Mia Gives Katy Perry Goosebumps With Her Idol Audition Performance
Mia performed a cover of Perry’s 2016 single, “Rise.” The track reached the 11th spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Perry (who is leaving Idol after the current season) co-wrote “Rise” with Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, and Ali Payami. So as the singer AND songwriter behind the song, it was an incredible experience for her to hear Mia’s rendition.
Mia used the song to showcase the dynamics of her voice. The judges were clearly impressed with her powerful performance, and seemed hooked on every word.
At one point, Perry made it clear she had goosebumps while listening to Mia sing.
She confirmed this after Mia finished, saying her performance gave her “full body chills.” Perry also told the young singer, “That was inspiring, and I wrote it and sang it.”
Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie both praised Mia too. Bryan said he believes Mia “definitely [has] potential for [the] Top Ten.”
Needless to say, it came as no surprise when the judges all voted to give Mia a Golden Ticket to Hollywood!
Now, head below to watch Mia’s gorgeous rendition of “Rise” during her Idol audition. We wish her the best of luck in Hollywood!