Heavy/ABC/NBC "American Idol" judges just welcomed a new contestant who's already been a finalist on "The Voice"
On the latest episode featuring “American Idol” season 22 auditions, judge Lionel Richie said he was “blown away” that contestant Hailey Mia was only 16. But for the teen performer from Clifton, New Jersey, singing on national TV is nothing new.
On the February 25, 2024, episode, Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan gave Mia a golden ticket to Hollywood, making her the latest “Idol” contestant to have also been a finalist on NBC’s “The Voice.” That kind of crossover between shows is more common than many viewers realize; in season 21 alone, seven contestants who received golden tickets had previously appeared previously on “The Voice.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Three ‘Idol’ Finalists From 2023 Were Finalists on ‘The Voice’ Like Hailey Mia
Heavy/ABCSeason 21’s Megan Danielle, Wé Ani and Marybeth Byrd were all previous finalists on “The Voice”
After her successful “Idol” audition, Mia marveled at hearing Bryan say she was Top 10 material, calling his assessment “crazy” — even though she’d made it all the way to fourth place on “The Voice” before.
Mia was just 13 when she performed in the Blind auditions for “The Voice,” winding up on Ariana Grande’s team. She later transferred to Team Kelly, coached by original “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson. A trio of siblings known as Girl Named Tom won that season.
Though Mia didn’t win the competition, Clarkson made sure she knew how proud she was of her by tweeting, “I’m so proud of you @iamhaileymia!! Thank you for being an amazing singer and all around good human!!”
I’m so proud of you @iamhaileymia!! Thank you for being an amazing singer and all around good human!! #TeamKelly #VoiceFinale
Recently, those who have been past finalists on “The Voice” have been successful on “American Idol,” too. Three such contestants in 2023 — Marybeth Byrd, Megan Danielle and Wé Ani — all wound up in the top 10 on “Idol.”
Notably, Mia is the second person in a year from New Jersey’s Passaic County to have appeared on both shows, according to NorthJersey.com. Ani, who also hails from the area, was on Alicia Keys’ team on “The Voice” in 2016 and came in third place there. On “Idol” in 2023, she reached the Top 5 before being eliminated.
Meanwhile, Byrd landed on John Legend’s team on “The Voice” in 2019, making it to the Top 8 during season 17. Four years later, she made it to the Top 10 on “Idol.”
Danielle advanced the furthest of the “Voice” alums in 2023. She earned a chair turn from Clarkson during season 18 of “The Voice” in 2020 and made it to the Top 9. But on “Idol,” she made it all the way to the finale and was the runner-up to winner Iam Tongi.
‘American Idol’ Judges Loved Haley Mia’s Audition, Featuring Katy Perry’s Hit Song
When ABC ran a promo for “Idol” in November that included a snippet of Mia’s audition, she shared it on Instagram and wrote, “I AUDITIONED FOR @americanidol?! 🙈🙈 the show premieres in FEBRUARY 2024 on ABC!! stay tuned.”
The high school junior sang Katy Perry’s “Rise” for her audition in Santa Barbara, California. She made it her own, the judges told her, and Perry said it gave her “chills,” which is always her signal that a contestant has something special.
“It was inspiring,” she told Mia. “And I wrote it and sang it, so to be re-inspired by someone else singing it — full body chills, even in places where I’ve been Botoxed!”
“Definitely potential for Top 10 in my opinion,” Bryan chimed in. “When I sit next to Katie and I see chill bumps from the shoulder to the bottom of the legs while she’s listening to her song, it’s pretty incredible. I mean, thus far, it’s probably my favorite audition we’ve had.”
Richie was also taken with the way Mia made Perry’s song her own.
“That’s the greatest (audition) so far in terms of just knowing who you are,” Richie added. “I don’t have to guess. Reinventing that song with your voice, you made it sound like yours.”
Mia, who released her first single and a music video for a song called “Daydreams” in 2022, told told NorthJersey.com that her parents were hosting a watch party with family and friends to celebrate her successful audition for “Idol.”
After it aired, she posted a selfie on Instagram with her golden ticket and wrote, “still can’t believe life is real rn. THE JOURNEY BEGINS!!”