'American Idol' Season 18 Episode 5: Jahzan's emotional audition has teary-eyed fans rooting for her
We have come across a whole lot of emotional auditions on 'American Idol' Season 18 since it premiered. However, one audition that had fans get extra emotional is that of Jahzan's. The 18-year-old contestant who hails from Kingston Jamaica moved to New York City with her mom after they left the island for their safety.
'American Idol' Season 18 returned for its final round of auditions on Sunday night and there were a lot of standout contestants who we saw audition this week. Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie returned to their seats alongside host Ryan Seacrest.
The series is known for its emotional backstories and while a few fans might find it unwanted, it definitely shows the contestants' struggles and how they want to pursue their dreams and passion with the hope of turning their lives around. And that's exactly what we witnessed with Jahzan's audition.
Jahzan left Jamaica with her mom because of safety concerns that she could not share on national television. Jahzan revealed that she and her mom busk around the city together and they are currently homeless and have been living in her uncles' salon.
She shared that none of the kids in her school know about all this because she didn't want to be looked down upon. Jahzan also revealed that while she sings in the subway, her mother dances beside her. They even showed the judges a glimpse of their performance.
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She sang 'Rockabye' by Clean Bandit and one couldn't miss her deep voice, which made her sound like a much older woman, in a good way of course. After their mini-performance, Jahzan's mother helped her with a little quick outfit change before she belted out her rendition of Demi Lovato's 'Warrior'. Though she had some pitch issues, her voice was intriguing and unique.
As she was performing, we could see her mom stand at the corner and pray. Both Jahzan and her mother were brought to tears after the audition. Post her performance, Katy compared her to Toni Braxton, Cher and Shakira, and we couldn't agree more. She does need some coaching, but she managed to get three yeses and is now on her way to Hollywood.
Taking to Twitter post her performance, fans share how emotional her audition and backstory made them. "Now... that’s what it means by having ...and...Keeping the Faith!!!!! Bless them.... good luck #Jahzan@AmericanIdol," wrote one fan.
"Jahzan and her mom have me over here in tears. #AmericanIdol," a fan wrote. Adding to that another said, "Well, thanks for the tears @AmericanIdol. Holy smokes. Rooting for Jahzan (I hope I spelled that right) and her Mom."
"First contestant this season to give me goosies AND I was bawling! #AmericanIdol," a fan shared. While another wrote, "oh my God I couldn’t control my tears."
"My Lord! Amazing!! And not a dry eye in the AI audience, I am sure!" a fan added.
'American Idol' Season 18 airs every Sunday and Monday night only on ABC. Check your local listings for more information.