Entertainment

Is 4th Time the Charm for This 'Idol' Hopeful?

by Jessica Molinari

I've never auditioned for American Idol but there's no doubt the audition process is extremely nerve-wrecking. It's full of long days herded from waiting area to waiting area, on-the-spot auditions, and no guarantee of even making it to the judges table. All that stress could deter even the most talented of singers from auditioning. But that didn't keep 19-year-old Sarina-Joi Crowe from auditioning — for the fourth time. Seriously, she's worked up the courage to audition FOUR TIMES. She even made it through to Hollywood one time only to be told "no" once she got there. Well, this season's judges clearly believe in her because they awarded her with another trip to Hollywood. Hopefully fourth time's the charm.

The Tennessee native wasted no time getting to the audition part, quickly bursting out her rendition of "Love Runs Out" once she entered the audition room. Harry Connick, Jr. whispered to Jennifer Lopez that Crowe's performance was even better than OneRepublic, the original singer of the song, and I definitely agree. The judges were quick to give her a "yes" and shuffle her onto the Hollywood rounds.

It blows my mind that Crowe hasn't made it any further than Hollywood in this competition before. She has the full "American Idol superstar" package — a captivating personality, amazing stage presence, and a strong, versatile voice to match. It could just be that her style didn't appeal to the judges the first time around or she wasn't what they needed that season. It was 4 years ago — in the days of Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson — and a lot has changed on this show since then. Or it could have been that her group brought her down during Hollywood. She was only 15 when she made it to Hollywood the first time, so her voice wasn't close to where it is now. Her voice has grown, but so has her maturity — and her new confidence will definitely help her stand out this time around.

Image: Fox (screenshot)