'American Idol' judges had predicted she would win the show during audition — then she did
When Abi Carter normally walked in for auditions, the 'American Idol' judges were convinced that the shy girl from a religious family was made for greater musical heights. The Coachella Valley native earned a standing ovation for her stunning rendition of Billie Eilish's 'What Was I Made For?' from the movie, 'Barbie.' "I love that song so much," Katy Perry gushed at her choice. "I'm glad to sing it," Carter remarked. "It's such a beautiful song, and she does it so amazingly. Please do it so amazingly," the 'Dark Horse' hitmaker remarked. "I hope I can do it justice for you," the then 21-year-old quipped before delivering her moving performance.
Earlier, during the introduction, Carter revealed that she was raised by a single parent and was the second oldest of her seven siblings. The young self-made artist also disclosed being a big fan of the talent reality show. "Well, tell me, tell us about your life growing up in Indio," Perry asked curiously. "Wow, oh, I came from a very religious family. I'm the second oldest of seven kids. I'm just a single mom, and I don't know," Carter disclosed. "Did she raise all seven of you by herself?" Perry asked, astonished. "Practically," the young artist quipped. "And why are you here, choosing us to possibly launch your life?" the 'E.T.' singer prodded.
"I have been a fan of American Idol my entire life. And so I think I've been telling myself since I was a kid, When I get old enough, I would do it," Carter candidly confessed. She left the judges mesmerized. "Thank you for being an example of singing from your heart. What were you made for? You were made for this. 100%," an emotional Perry reacted while hugging Carter. "That might be the winner of American Idol," Luke Bryan predicted by fluke. "Luke, she's top ten, right?" Perry confirmed. "I said, That's the winner. That may be the winner of American Idol right there. I've never heard the crew clap," Bryan assured. After wowing the judges and bagging the golden ticket, Carter breezed through the rest of the rounds.
Fans lauded her performance and commented that Carter was already a crowd favorite during local events. "I've been listening to her perform at the local market night for years. I made all my friends stop, listen, and drop in cash whenever they visited. I always believed in her and always hoped she would make it. She would sing her heart out to 12-50 people week after week," a viewer pointed out. "She sings at our local Village Fest in Palm Springs every Thursday night. She always draws a great crowd. The crowd is usually families and older folks, so her tone is mostly soft and subdued," a fan chimed.
Carter defeated runner-up Will Moseley with her original composition, 'This Isn't Over,' during the 'American Idol' finale. After winning the coveted talent show, the young artist went on to make chart-topping singles, including 'Peppermint Sky' and 'Comfortably Numb,' as per ScreenRant. In November 2024, she released her debut album, 'Ghosts in the Backyard.' 'No Amount of Dark,' her debut live performance, took place at Acrisure Arena in July of the year. Carter still frequently performs live at events and gigs.