“You’re one of my absolute favorites, top 30. I’m calling it,” Underwood gushed.
Madison Moon; Photo Courtesy of American Idol via ABC
Madison Moon, a 21-year-old musician from Orlando, Florida, had the American Idol judges jaws dropping with covers of Radiohead and Thirty Seconds to Mars hits and her rockin’ vocals.
“I’m so excited to be here. I’m a full-time musician. It’s [the] only job I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Moon said, introducing herself to Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan. “I do a lot of everything, but I really want to go for pop rock. I’ve been in a lot of bands, and I did harsh vocals and stuff like that. So I would be singing today, not doing that.”
To start her audition, Moon chose to cover “Creep” by Radiohead. Donning a sparkling royal blue shirt over a black tank top and black pants with a large silver belt buckle, Moon was joined by an acoustic guitarist and truly wowed with her smooth vocals.
“But I’m a creep/ I’m a weirdo/ What the hell am I doin’ here?/ I don’t belong here,” Moon belted out.
Carrie Underwood, an avid rock and roll fan, was so enthralled by Moon’s performance of “Creep” that she begged for her to perform another song, as she was “curious” for her to show off her more “harsh vocals.”
“I want more. Do you have a second song? You said you did like harsh vocals. I’m just curious,” Underwood asked, before Bryan chimed in, “What does ‘harsh vocals’ mean?”
Underwood briefly explained that harsh vocals are screaming vocals that are often heard in metal songs. Moon replied, “Like metal vocals. Let’s do it.”
Madison Moon then went on to perform “The Kill (Bury Me)” by Thirty Seconds to Mars, and while her screamo vocals might have scared Luke Bryan, Underwood fell in love with her unique harsh vocals.
As her cover of the Thirty Seconds to Mars’ hit came to a close, Underwood, with a big smile on her face, shouted, “Thank you. Love it. It’s great!”
Bryan wasn’t a huge fan of the screaming, as he added, “Don’t do any more harsh vocals.” He then praised her normal singing voice: “The bottom line is you’re one of the best voices we’ve heard so far.”
Lionel Richie agreed, “Yes, you just kept getting higher and then higher. I’m thinking, Where does this voice end?”
Underwood predicted that Madison Moon would make it into the Top 30 contestants on Idol and gushed, “You’re one of my absolute favorites, top 30. I’m calling it” before voting, “Let’s do this. Yes, yes, yes.”
After scoring a golden ticket to advance to Hollywood Week, taking place in Music City this year, Madison Moon admitted that she nearly fainted when Underwood praised her.
“I’ve gone to Hollywood Day. Carrie called me top 30, and I almost fell to the ground. I almost fell to the ground. It’s insane. I’m glad she believes in me. I am so ready for this.”
Underwood told her fellow judges, “Oh, you know I’ve been looking for my rockers.” Luke Bryan then asked Underwood, “So there’s a technique you can do that and it’s not. Can you do it that way?” to which she replied, “yes, but I’ve never done such things outside of my car.”
New episodes of American Idol air every Monday night at 8/7c on ABC and are available to stream the next day on Hulu.