"That's top 10 material": Olivia Soli's rendition of Lionel Richie's 'Hello' on American Idol leaves fans stunned

Popular reality competition series American Idol season 21 aired a brand new episode on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC. It documented a fresh new set of contestants participating in the third round of auditions and performing in front of the judges and viewers. They did their best to earn a golden ticket to advance to the Hollywood Week of the competition.

On this week's episode of American Idol, Olivia Soli's rendition of Lionel Richie's Hello left judges and viewers stunned. They complimented her for making the song her own and delivering perfect pitches. Fans fell in love with her voice. One tweeted:

The hit ABC series has been extremely popular amongst viewers. Season 21 has only just begun and viewers have already picked out their favorites. The contestants performed in front of the iconic judge trio - Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. While some earned a ticket after being successful, others failed to do so.

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Olivia Soli impressed judges on American Idol

Tonight's episode of American Idol began with the judges welcoming the contestants to a brand new round of auditions. Many singers and musicians took to the audition stage to deliver iconic performances. Some left the judges speechless with their great vocal range and pitches, while others left them inspired by their stories.

Olivia Soli entered the audition room all set and was ready to wow the judges. When the 21-year-old singer revealed she was going to sing Lionel Richie's hit single Hello, it came as a surprise to the judges as it was an extremely difficult song to perfect. They expressed that Olivia had "big shoes to fill," but were extremely excited to see the contestant perform.

As soon as the American Idol contestant began to perform, the judges realized she was hitting the perfect notes. By the end of the performance, Lionel began clapping his hands and had already given Olivia a standing ovation. He then said:

"I wanna be the first in your long career to rush the artist."

Lionel and the other judges expressed that they were initially worried that the singer would mimic or imitate the way Lionel sang his song. However, they expressed that she made the song her own and owned the performance. The original Hello singer said:

"You did it to perfection. I know who you are now as an artist. Yes, it's my song. Yes, I wrote it. Yes, I sang it. But it's your song."

The American Idol judge termed Olivia's performance the "best so far in the audition," while Luke called it "one of the best." Katy joked that the singer put Lionel Richie out of a job. She further told the contestant:

"You really reinterpreted it. You put your own spin on it. You have a tremendous voice. So many incredible runs. You seem like you're ready. You're worth the shot."

Katy then confessed to the contestant that they will push her harder as they know that "there's a diamond in there." The judges then proceeded to vote and gave her a golden ticket to advance her to Hollywood week.

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Fans impressed with Olivia Soli's audition on American Idol

Fans took to social media to express their opinions on Olivia's performance. They loved her voice and thought she could go all the way. Check out what they have to say.

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Season 21 of American Idol has seen a lot of talent in the first three episodes. As the installment progresses, the contestants will have to give it their all to make it to the Top 24 of the competition. Viewers will have to stay tuned to find out what's more in store for them.

Don't forget to tune in to a brand new episode of American Idol next Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC.