American Idol Hopeful Catches Judges’ Attention With Unique Audition

The Season 23 premiere of American Idol aired on Sunday, March 9, with many talented contestants earning their ticket to Hollywood.

One of the most unique auditions of the night came from 25-year-old Abi Bowen, who performed Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

The Tennessee native had never pursued music professionally or performed live often. However, she was inspired to audition in honor of her late mother, who was a big fan of the show.

When Bowen entered the audition room to meet judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan, she was dressed in full cowboy attire, sporting a bolo tie, a denim button-up, denim pants, and a cowboy hat. She also had a pair of dark sunglasses on, which she took off to introduce herself.

But, she caught the judge off guard when she said she would put her sunglasses back on before she sang to use them as a “shield” because she was so nervous. To manage her nerves even further, she also turned around so her back faced the judges as she performed with her eyes closed.

“This is probably a first,” Lionel Richie said about Bowen’s approach to auditioning.

‘American Idol’ contestant Abi Bowen wears sunglasses during her audition due to stage fright. (YouTube/remasterkingdom4k)

As Bowen began singing, Bryan quietly motioned for the other judges to tiptoe to the front of her. When she finished her performance and opened her eyes, she jumped in surprise to find all three judges standing right in front of her.

“You know this is a TV show and people are going to see you,” Underwood said as Bowen shyly laughed.

The judges then returned to their seats and shared their thoughts on Bowen’s audition.

Richie reassured Bowen that she had something special, telling her she’s “got the goods.”

Bryan even compared Bowen’s audition to Season 22 alum Emmy Russell’s, who is the granddaughter of Loretta Lynn. Emmy was also very shy when she first auditioned but gradually gained confidence as the competition went on.

When Underwood shared her comments, she expressed some concern. She questioned whether Bowen was truly ready for the competition.

“I want you to decide what you want out of this,” Underwood said. “Do you want to be in front of people, on a stage, singing? Is that what you want? If we send you on, one of two things will happen. You’re either going to figure it out and be like, ‘Who is this girl?’ Or you’re going to drown in Hollywood.”

Even with clear stage fright, the judges saw potential in Bowen and decided to give her a chance to grow. They handed her a golden ticket to Hollywood, sending her through to the next round.

“I couldn’t sit here and explain this audition to you if I tried because it was so chaotic,” Bowen said in a post-audition interview. “Thank you to my family for supporting me through all this and pushing me when I didn’t push myself. I’ll see you guys in Hollywood, but I’m leaving my sunglasses at home.”

Watch Abi Bowen’s unique American Idol audition in the video below.