'American Idol' Season 18: Lionel Richie compares Cyniah Elise to a young Whitney Houston and fans approve
'American Idol' kicked off with the premiere of Season 18 last week. Back again on Sunday night, we witnessed hopeful contestants who auditioned for a chance to win the golden ticket.
Judges, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie returned to their seats alongside host Ryan Seacrest and in-house mentor Bobby Bones. Kicking off Week 2 of the auditions was Cyniah Elise, a 17-year old who hails from Savannah.
Cyniah had a voice so pure that Lionel Richie compared her to Whitney Houston and fans were quick to say that she might be the next 'American Idol'.
Cyniah is easily one of the frontrunners this season after being an early standout. The 17-year-old revealed that she has been singing from the age of two and one of the videos she uploaded on Facebook got up to 4 million views.
Wow! A bb Whitney right before our eyes 👀👀👀 #AmericanIdol pic.twitter.com/KKSni3z4b8
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) February 24, 2020
Performing her rendition of 'You are the Reason' by Calum Scott, Cyniah never shied away from showcasing her powerful vocals that also had a hint of a gospel feel to it. Cyniah's performance was soulful and even inspired Lionel to compare her to a younger version of legendary singer Whitney Houston.
Luke was blown away by how natural her voice sounded and without a doubt, the young singer got three yeses and advanced to Hollywood week with a golden ticket. Taking to Twitter after her performance, many fans stood by Lionel Richie's comparison.
"Wow!! Cyniah may just be the next #AmericanIdol!! Very moving performance!!" a fan wrote. Another said, "You can't get more of an Amen, than to have @LionelRichie compare you to Miss Whitney."
"She as a beautiful voice and can hit the high and low key notes perfect she has a voice that could take her to the Grammys," a fan wrote.
Another shared, "Up first on tonight's auditions from #Savannah is #CyniahElise and WOW! I think we may just have this season's winner of American Idol with this lovely young lady! Way to go Cyniah! #AmericanIdol Congrats #CyniahElise you are going to Hollywood!"
"The minute that beautiful young lady started singing, MY MIND went to WHITNEY/JENIFER HUDSON, if they had a baby, there she is, I see a star there and you 3 are in the beginning of something truly special, not just music, I am talking the whole enchilada, XO," a fan wrote.
Another added, "I don’t know if Cyniah has a user name yet, but a but another star was just born on #AmericanIdol. She was spectacular. And I don't love gospel."
Do you think Cyniah will become the next 'American Idol'? Let us know in the comments below.
'American Idol' Season 18 airs every Sunday night only in ABC. Check your local listings for more information.
