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Teen ‘American Idol’ singer makes it to top 8 — and Carrie Underwood’s advice definitely played a part

"You're on your way to something, you just have to get more confidence, more stage presence," Richie advised.

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Pruitt has made it to the top 8 of 'American Idol Season 23'; with her signature raspy voice, the Tennessee native has come a long way from her soulful rendition of Jessie Murph's 'How Could You' during the auditions. Despite her meteoric rise in the competition, judge Carrie Underwood advised the younger singer, "If there's anything I can say to you, it's that you have to find your sass. You have to find that sass ... You need some sass, girl; come on."

Fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie also agreed that Pruitt needs to step out of her comfort zone and overcome her shy persona to match her stunning voice, as per The Things. "You're on your way to something; you just have to get more confidence and more stage presence. Your delivery was wonderful," Richie advised. "You have a maturity in your voice that is a bit beyond your years, but it's really cool. You have a really nice range," Underwood had gushed at the teenager's voice during auditions. Meanwhile, James Taylor, a six-time Grammy Award winner and' Rock & Roll Hall of Fame' inductee, mentored Pruitt while she chose to sing Janis Joplin's 'Piece of My Heart.'

Although Taylor was impressed by the teen's Top 12 song selection, he made her study the lyrics to understand the mature song. "To me, it was a bit of a surprise because Mattie's our youngest artist, and this is a song that you would think of as being sung by a woman, not a girl." Pruitt took note of the judges' advice and gave a stunning rendition of Kelly Clarkson's ballad 'Because of You' during the 'Iconic Idol Moments' night after being mentored by season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino. The Tennessee native turned the tide with her strong stage presence that night. She owned every minute of her presence with matching facial expressions and natural acting. 

Bryan fawned over her performance: "I mean, at 16 out here going toe-to-toe with everybody, you need to make sure you understand how amazing it is... You're doing so good; you just keep growing. Great job." Richie chimed in, "You just stood there with confidence, and you did it well." Pruitt jumped to the top 10 spot, and Underwood couldn't keep calm. "Mattie, your voice is just so stinking good; it is so cool and unique. Every single time we see you, I feel like you get more and more connected with the words that you're singing, the songs that you're singing. Just keep doing that, keep leaning into it," the country music queen gushed over the teen. 

Pruitt broke out of her shell and gave an electrifying rendition of Miranda Lambert's 'The House That Built Me' during the 'Ladies Night' round and secured herself a spot among the top 8 idols for season 23. According to Entertainment Now, Pruitt celebrated a milestone moment on the sets of the iconic talent show; she was greeted by a surprise sweet sixteen birthday arrangement on April 15th. 

The excited teen shared the special moment on her Instagram with a lengthy caption: “I walked into the dressing room thinking no one was going to do anything for my birthday,” she wrote, “and then some of the contestants and my stepmom surprised me with the sweetest birthday setup ever.” "Still can’t believe I’m 16 and living this dream — thank you for all the love, support, and votes after last night’s performance. My heart is so full," she concluded.