'American Idol': Cadence Baker dubbed ‘phenomenal’ after judges praise ‘off the charts’ singing

Cadence Baker showed up on day two of the performances and proved to be a perfect opener with ‘Something’s Got a Hold On Me’ by Etta James
Cadence Baker on 'American Idol' Season 20 (Photo by ABC)
Cadence Baker on 'American Idol' Season 20 (Photo by ABC)

While singers namely Jay Copeland, HunterGirl, Scarlet, Sage, Tristen Gressett, Danielle Finn, and others performed on day one of the top 24 performances at Disney’s Aulani Resort, a few others including Lady K, Noah Thompson, Allegra Miles, and Katyrah Love gave their best shot on day two of the performances in order to grab a seat in the top 20.
 
Cadence Baker, who showed up on the second day of the performances, proved to be a perfect opener of the evening as she crooned ‘Something’s Got a Hold On Me’ by Etta James. The granddaughter of renowned musician Gary Baker and daughter of Shane Baker left the judges smitten by how much she improved as compared to her previous auditions. Lionel Richie whilst talking to the 19-year-old said that the growl in her voice and the presentation were “off the charts”. Katy Perry, on the other hand, stated that Cadence had a “fantastic arrangement.” Luke Bryan too shared his opinion saying it was the best she sounded since her original audition.
 
RELATED ARTICLES
Why did Kenedi Anderson quit 'American Idol' after her Top 24 performance?

‘American Idol’: Allegra Miles impresses judges but fans feel ‘her jaw is wire shut’



 

‘You set the tone for the night’

Social media users too were left impressed as one of the users stated, “That is how you do it, Cadence! You set the tone for the night! Well done!” Another posted, “You have to be proud of that performance!” One posted, “Balanced, Tones clear >GOOD.” The next one shared, “Cadence Baker has her grandfather's energy!” Another added, “CADENCE KILLED THAT S**T.” The next one tweeted, “Cadence is pretty. Good solid performance. Wish she picked something more current though.” And, one shared, “Cadence opened the show with a bang tonight. She was so good. I loved her song choice and I was right when I said she's very relatable. People who aren't confident enough can find their confidence once they start performing on stage.” One user concluded, “Cadence was phenomenal.”



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 

‘American Idol' Season 20 airs every Sunday at 8/7c on ABC.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online. 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Pavi and her long-lost twin Nisha hunt for their origins as the Havens cheer the last Avatar’s death
2026-10-17T08:37:00.000Z
Season 2 of the HBO Stephen King prequel jumps back to 1935 and a gang of bank robbers
2026-10-17T06:52:24.000Z
‘Fire Country’ season 5 episode 2 reveals Jake’s fate after the shooting as the team uncovers the attacker’s motive
2026-10-17T06:41:28.000Z
Wes ends ‘Sheriff Country’ Season 2 Episode 2 in the hands of Stoyanovs after exposing bakery bug
2026-10-17T05:35:47.000Z
Chad Lowe is the executive producer on ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ and has also directed many episodes
2026-10-17T05:07:28.000Z
Issa López returns as showrunner for a Jamaica Bay story with ties to ’Night Country’
2026-10-17T03:12:59.000Z
Oklahoma’s governor and Dwight’s love interest board a private jet in the first episode of Season 4
2026-10-16T09:30:07.000Z
'Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 23 Episode 1, titled 'Collide,' featured several surprises
2026-10-16T09:16:04.000Z
'Crystal Lake,' which serves as a prequel to 'Friday the 13th,' stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela
2026-10-16T07:12:15.000Z
Detective Vincent Riley was introduced during the 'Law & Order' Season 23 premiere
2026-10-16T05:35:28.000Z