Keyla Richardson absolutely confounded Lionel Richie on the latest episode of American Idol.
For her second performance in Hawaii, the single mom decided to take on The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” in honor of all the poeple that God put in her path to help her.
Advisors Keke Palmer and Brad Paisley were immediately impressed in rehearsals, with the latter dubbing her a “perfect singer.”
Palmer was particularly moved by Richardson, so much so that she broke down in tears as she watched her perform.
“That voice was ancestral, girl,” Palmer said after she gave Richardson a hug. “What you’re doing is more than just singing. You’re embodying spirit through song. That’s beautiful.”
Richardson told the cameras that the praise “blew my mind,” adding, “I’m humble and I’m grateful because that just lets me know, no matter what I sing somebody’s going to feel it and I want somebody to feel it.”
As great as her rehearsal was, Richardson took it to another level during her performance.
When host Ryan Seacrest joined her on stage afterwards, he joked that guests at the Hawaii hotel looked out of their windows, and marine life in the ocean perked up upon hearing Richardson’s voice.
American Idol Judges Praise Keyla Richardson
Lionel Richie certainly agreed. The iconic singer was pacing back and forth as he declared, “I have never. I have never ever! I’ve been on American Idol since I was that big. I have never had any contestant walk out on this stage and tear the place up.”
“The place got blown up. That Janis Joplin sounding, Tina Turner sounding. I don’t know who you are, but that right there was the greatest performance I have ever seen on this stage,” he added. “That was ridiculous.”
As the other judges began to weigh in on the performance, Richie kept pacing and asserting, “I have never!”
While Richie continued to process how mind blown he was, Palmer gave her two cents.
“Lionel had to bring me back to life. He had to resuscitate me up in the place,” the guest judge said. “The last time I’ve seen somebody make me feel like this and get people turned up like this, her name was Fantasia Barrino. And she won American Idol.”
The performance also moved Carrie Underwood.
“You don’t think about what you’re doing as it’s happening. It just flows out of you,” she said. “You were in the moment. You were having fun with the audience… It was from the heavens to Keyla and then out to us. It was spectacular.”
Luke Bryan spoke last, telling Richardson, “You’re just here to let what God has given you come out.”
Viewers at home can vote for Richardson by texting 20 to 21523, navigating to the American Idol website, or by commenting “Keyla” on Idol‘s pinned posts on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Voting will be open until 6:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 24.
