'American Idol' Season 18 Episode 5: MaKayla Brownlee's unique warbling yodel floors judges
There were quite a few talented standouts to audition in Episode 5 of 'American Idol', but none impressed us more than MaKayla Brownlee, a 17-year-old singer with a rather unique hobby.
The young country artiste confessed that she had a huge passion for hunting snakes in her hometown of Wellington, Kansas, and even shared pictures of her getting cozy with the sinuous creatures after she caught them during her weekend camping trips. Considering she was so brave, 'American Idol' could hardly prove to be much of a test on her nerves. MaKayla took the stage and performed a gorgeous, rousing rendition of 'Travelin' Soldier' by The Dixie Chicks.
Possessing a 100% Americana voice, Makayla warbled and yodeled her way through the classic country song, completely flooring the judges.
Her powerful vocals really surprised the impressed judging panel. Katy Perry said that the performance caught her off guard "like a snake in the water", and said she was really happy with the way the young teenager sang. The 'Dark Horse' singer also offered some constructive criticism and asked MaKayla to enunciate her words more pointedly, but concluded that her sweet, sincere voice would stand her in good stead for the singing competition.
Lionel Richie was thrilled by her "magical" yodeling cry, saying that it would prove to be her signature sound. Meanwhile, Luke Bryan surmised that since this year's Hollywood talent pool already had a host of strong female country singers, MaKayla's unique country stylings would help shake up the competition. He also asked MaKayla to "get ready for a dogfight". The judges were unanimous in their decision to put the talented snake charmer from Kansas through to the Hollywood round, and the teenager was given her golden ticket.
MaKayla already has plenty of support on social media. A gushing fan said, "I loved Katy's face when MaKayla opened her mouth haha... her voice was beautiful! Looking forward to see her growth throughout the season!"
Other followers of country music confirmed she was one to watch out for, saying. "Makayla Brownlee definitely did the @DixieChicks proud with this impressive cover."
We're really looking forward to seeing what this fearless teen does next in the Hollywood rounds.
