Utah is getting a lot of representation on “American Idol” this season.
After the audition round of “Idol” wrapped up on March 14, six singers from Utah ended up snagging golden tickets to Hollywood. Now, a new round of “Idol” is about to unfold.
Four singers from Utah will appear in the first episode of the Hollywood Week round airing Sunday night, an “Idol” representative told the Deseret News.
Here’s a breakdown of each singer.
Ammon and Liahona Olayan
Ammon and Liahona Olayan are a brother-sister duo from Vineyard, Utah. The siblings discovered their passion for performing a few years ago when their family made a dramatic move from Utah to Hawaii — a move that led to the Olayans living in a tent for a few months.
Sine then, the siblings have released an EP and were featured on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ 2020 youth theme album. During their audition in front of celebrity judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, the Olayans performed a song they wrote called “Listen to My Heart.”
“Liahona, you have a voice like we could write a song, record it and it’s ready for the radio,” Bryan said after the performance, according to the Deseret News. “Y’all complementing one another is absolute magic. I think the sky’s the limit, and I’m just freaking out.”
Going forward, the Olayans will perform separately on “Idol.” Ammon Olayan, 18, will sing and play the guitar during the Hollywood Week episode Sunday night while Liahona Olayan, 17, will sing and play the piano.
Wyatt Pike
Twenty-year-old Wyatt Pike, a singer from Park City, Utah, was just days away from starting business school when he had a realization: He didn’t want to go to business school.
Instead, Pike ended up taking a gap year, using the time to pursue his real passion — music. That move led him to “American Idol.”
During his audition, Pike performed an original song he wrote for his younger sister, Hazel, called “Best for You.”
It impressed Lionel Richie enough for him to call Pike “a Park City James Taylor,” the Deseret News reported.
“I want more,” Luke Bryan added. “I think you’re totally cool, totally unique, totally in your own world, in your own lane, playing your guitar in your style, in your movements. ... I’m excited you’re here.”
Pike will again be singing and playing the guitar Sunday night.
Lizzy O’Very
About a year after getting married, Lizzy O’Very and Grayson O’Very — who met in 2019 as music students at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah — decided to both try out for “American Idol.”
The singer-songwriters both ended up getting golden tickets to Hollywood, but their auditions never aired, so the Hollywood Week round will mark the O’Verys’ first appearance on the show.
During the audition round, the O’Verys each performed an original song as well as a song they wrote together. Grayson O’Very recently told the Deseret News that Lionel Richie compared him to Elton John, while Lizzy O’Very drew comparisons to singers like Enya, Bjork and Aurora.
Going forward, they have separate performances on “Idol,” with Lizzy O’Very singing and playing the accordion Sunday night.
Note: Sunday night’s Hollywood Week episode airs from 7-9 p.m. MT on ABC. The second episode will air Monday night from 7-9 p.m. MT.