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‘American Idol’ contestant sings facing backward with her eyes closed — it went better than expected

An ‘American Idol’ singer turned her back to the judges during auditions, but her voice was all they needed to hear

Abi Bowen grew up on a farm in Blountville, Tennessee, with a passion for music. She confessed to having an obsession with 'American Idol', and her late mother had hoped that she would win the reality talent competition someday. However, Bowen's crippling stage fright made it almost impossible for her to perform, "I'd be like, nope, I can't do it. I'm too scared," she admitted in her introductory clip. "I'm not really a nervous person. I will get out there and dance in front of anybody. But when it comes to singing, for some reason, I've got this huge fear," she added. To fulfill her late mother's wish, Bowen attended the auditions but put forth a bizarre condition before her act. She put on sunglasses, closed her eyes, and faced away from the judges as she performed a soul-stirring version of Bonnie Raitt's 'I Can't Make You Love Me.'

"I've been watching 'American Idol' for as long as I can remember. Me and my mom used to watch. We'd watch it on TV, and my mom, and Matt, and everybody, they'd be like, just get up there and do it. Like, you can do it. Just go," she recalled. "But then my mom passed away. And then we were watching it last year without her, and then it was kind of weird. So I was like, you know, I'm just going to do it, see what happens," Bowen continued. "This audition is literally the craziest thing. I've ever done in my life." "So the shades come on for the performance?" host Ryan Seacrest quizzed before she entered the main room to face the judges, "Makes me feel like they can't see me," she quipped. 

Bowen initially took off her sunglasses but put them right back on when she started interacting with the judges. "And I'm going to put my sunglasses back on," she requested nervously. "Because these are my shields," and then she made a strange appeal, "And I'm also going to turn around, if that's OK?" leaving the judges astonished, but they agreed. "This is probably the first. This is good," Lionel Richie reacted amused. While Bowen was bravely conquering her stage fright, the judges slowly crept up on her and stood in front of her. The then 24-year-old didn't acknowledge their presence since she had her eyes closed.

After her performance, the Tennessee native was shocked to see the judges gaping in amazement. "You know this is a TV show, and people are going to see you," Carrie Underwood remarked. "And when you dress like that, people are going to notice you," Luke Bryan added. Underwood then put the ball in Bowen's court to decide whether she wanted to participate in the competition. "You're either going to, like, figure it out, or you're going to drown in Hollywood," she added. In addition to praising her vocals, Richie advised Bowen to boost her self-confidence. "You can't wear your glasses," Underwood warned in good humor before handing out the self-made singer her golden ticket to Hollywood. 

 As much as fans loved Bowen's talent, they also gushed over the judge's reactions, "I love how the judges in this competition are being humane and keeping the feet on the ground when it comes to treating contestants," a viewer lauded. "Oh, she is very authentic. With some confidence and coaching, she is a raw, real talent," a fan applauded. Bowen's season 23 journey on 'American Idol' has just begun. "I'll see you guys in Hollywood, but I'm leaving my sunglasses at home," she enthusiastically declared after accepting the challenge.