‘American Idol’ Season 18 Premiere: Alejandro Aranda’s impact undeniable as contestants choose original songs
When Alejandro Aranda first came to audition for season 17 of American Idol, no one really knew what to expect from the 24-year-old home-schooled dishwasher from Pomona, California. But as soon as he unleashed his singer-songwriting chops on the unsuspecting public right from his very first audition, everyone watching instantly knew he was going to be a bonafide star.
Equally proficient at writing exquisite songs on both the guitar and piano, and gifted with a soothing, melt-your-heart-like-butter voice, Alejandro's dulcet, mellow-gold performances blew his audiences (and competition) away with his talent and songwriting craft.
Going against the grain, Alejandro tended to avoid doing only cover versions of popular songs, as had previously been the norm on 'American Idol', and chose instead to showcase seven versions of his own original material (besides some beautifully-arranged covers) as he breezed through each week of the singing competition last year.
He'd written these songs under his stage name, Scarypoolparty, inspired by a scary pool party he'd attended right before he was due to debut as an original artist in the public eye.
Alejandro would go on to reach the finals of 'American Idol' Season 17 based on the strength of those performances, eventually ending his fairytale climb to the top as the runner-up to last year's champion, Laine Hardy. But although he might have lost the 'American Idol' title at the final frontier, Alejandro can rest assured in knowing that he captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of his adoring fans.
Alejandro's impact and legacy was immediate and lasting, clearly evident in this latest crop of Idol hopefuls - on Season 18 of 'American Idol' which premiered this Sunday night (in its third season on the ABC network), an unprecedented number of singer-songwriters auditioned with their own original songs, hoping to cast the same golden spell that the young artiste known as Scarypoolparty had managed to achieve with the American public last year.
Alejandro inspired a whole new generation of budding original artistes to follow their dreams all the way to the top, and for that, a mere title won't suffice, this inspiring young man is destined to go down in history as one of the most amazing success stories to ever come out of the storied 'American Idol' franchise. Just take a listen to any of his songs from last year's competition and you'll agree with Luke Bryan, who declared at Alejandro's audition that he was in the "presence of greatness."
But where is Alejandro now? Is he touring? Has he kept on releasing more incredible songs? Well, the self-confessed hard-worker has been busy doing just that, honing his songwriting craft and keeping his audiences engaged with a relentless touring schedule. He's fresh from playing a 29-stop North American tour and the Lollapalooza festival in 2019, and will also be opening for artists like Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds in February 2020.
Besides this, he's also released the singles 'Tonight', 'Cholo Love' and 'Diamonds' after signing with Hollywood Records last year, and Scarypoolparty also unveiled his major-label debut album titled 'Exit Form' in November 2019. We look forward to more magic and aural stardust from this musical genius in the years to come because one thing's for sure - Alejandro's just getting started!