Does Canada’s Nicolina Bozzo have what it takes to win American Idol?
On Sunday’s Season 20 premiere, the 18-year-old Toronto singer blew away the judges with her rendition of the 2015 Sara Bareilles song “She Used to Be Mine.”
“Oh my gosh, that was so good,” said Katy Perry. “It was beautiful.”
Lionel Richie, who called Bozzo a “star,” gushed: “Girl, that was just ridiculous. And the journey of your voice… it’s what so infectious. I’m a fan of yours.
“You are what have been looking for.”
Luke Bryan congratulated Bozzo on an “amazing” audition. “You navigate everything wonderfully,” he said. “And you go into a place in your mind right before you sing and that’s what big time singers do.”
On YouTube and TikTok, Bozzo shares covers of songs by acts like P!nk, Miley Cyrus, Evanescence and Radiohead.
She posted a rendition of her Idol audition song on YouTube last March.
Bozzo’s EP Moving On was released last October.
American Idol started allowing Canadians to compete in its 18th season. Ontario's Vivian Hicks and Saveria auditioned – the former earned a golden ticket to Hollywood (but her audition wasn't broadcast) and the latter failed to get one. B.C. singer Lauren Spencer-Smith, currently on the charts with her Olivia Rodrigo-inspired "Fingers Crossed," became the first Canadian to make it to the Top 20 of Idol. She was eliminated in the first viewers-voted round.
Toronto’s Heather Russell earned a golden ticket in last year’s Season 19, as did Ontario-raised Lorand Kis, but neither made it past Hollywood week.
This article has been updated since it was first published.