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Who is Leah Marlene? 'American Idol' singer has been writing her songs since she was 13

'American Idol' Season 20 is back on the screens and the show will be featuring many talented singers, Leah Marlene is one of them

ABC's 'American Idol' Season 20 is shaping up to be as competitive as ever, thanks to the incredibly talented judges and the lot of contestants this time. Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie are on a mission to find that complete singing superstar.  

'American Idol' Season 20 singers like Grace Franklin, Maddie Glidewell, Nicolina, Danielle Finn, Delaney Renee, and Huntergirl, among others, showed their powerful singing skills on the show. Apart from these, a 16-year-old crooner named Camryn Champion too showed up for the auditions in the premiere episode. Leah Marlene, 20, however, stood out with her audition. Marlene's quirky personality is as memorable as her singing chops. Read on if you are curious to know more about the singing star.

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Who is Leah Marlene?

Marlene, a 20-year-old young artist, hails from Normal town, Illinois. Marlene grew up in a house full of musicians and guitarists and before she headed to the 'American Idol' audition stage, she shared, "Music has been a part of me since I was born. I was very expressive. I wore, like, really questionable fashion choices. I was very hyper, very stupid and goofy. I've been watching this show since I was really young. I was practically coming out of the birth canal when Kelly Clarkson won, which is crazy. My plan is to go in there and hopefully not trip."

While going through her Instagram account, it was clear that she has taken part in many concerts, as she shared numerous posters and pictures of the concerts. Moreover, she recently released a new album for which she shared the link in her Instagram bio.

Marlene grew up playing Canada's national winter sport, ice hockey, before giving it up for pursuing a career in music. In order to do so, Marlene attended Belmont, a private university in Nashville, Tennessee, for two years before becoming a proud dropout. Marlene went to Illinois with her parents when she was quite little, and she has been publishing her original songs since she was 13-years-old. While talking about her family Marlene's father is also a songwriter and main guitarist in the Canadian band Honeymoon Suite. 

Marlene's performance scored her a "yes" from all three judges. She sang "Steal My Girl" by One Direction for her auditions. Impressed, Katy asked if she could perform something original for the judges. Moreover, the judges also noticed similarities between her and a previous contestant, as Katy pointed out by saying," she reminds me of Catie Turner." Check out her audition clip below.