In the age of reality shows, singing competitions are often a dime a dozen. With that comes contestants who may have been on more than one series, which is what American Idol fans realized about a handsome competitor that caught judge Katy Perry‘s eye.
During a recent episode, viewers met 21-year-old Michael Williams from Mason, Ohio. Hoping to secure a spot in the Hollywood, he entranced Katy, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie with his soulful rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Talking to the Moon.” As he finished performing the track alongside a piano player, the “Firework” songstress couldn’t help but be smitten with him. Jokes aside, Katy told Michael just how much talent she thought he had to make it on to the show.
“Listen, I think you’re top 10 material,” she said. “I think your vocals are amazing. They’re gonna get pushed, but you can control the room with a whisper.”
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American Idol viewers appeared to agree with her, as evident by their thoughts on social media. But to a few, Michael’s audition seemed pretty familiar. As it turns out, some folks figured out that they actually saw him audition on another major singing competition show.
“Michael! I remember him from The Voice and he had an amazing battle with Allegra [Miles]! He’s really improved by a lot and he sang that beautifully. He’s gonna be the heartthrob of the season,” one person wrote on YouTube. “I’m so glad he’s back after The Voice! He developed a lot throughout his voice season but talk about a glow up since then. Damn! Killed it!” another agreed. “I was [rooting] for him so hard on The Voice! I’m so excited to hear more from him and how much he’s improved,” a different user added.
So, what was Michael’s role on the NBC singing series? Back in 2020, he auditioned for season 18, where he impressed coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Nick Jonas with his version of “You Say” by Lauren Daigle.
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After joining Nick’s team, he performed three more times before getting eliminated during the live playoffs. While his time on The Voice was short, he’s still remembered for his battle round performance with Allegra, performing Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know.”
As for whether Michael made it past the auditions this time around on American Idol, he indeed earned himself a ticket to Hollywood. We’ll just have to keep watching to see if he takes the win home.
Editorial Assistant
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.