‘American Idol’ Preview: Josh King Gets Carrie Underwood Singing Along in His Unique Audition (VIDEO)

Alyssa Norwin March 14, 2025, 9:00 am

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The auditions on Season 23 of American Idol are underway, and they’ll continue with more aspiring artists performing for the judges during the Sunday, March 16, episode. TV Insider has an exclusive sneak peek at one of the talented singers who gets the judges dancing in their seats.

“My name is Josh King. I’m 24 years old and I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina,” the contestant says while introducing himself. When asked by host Ryan Seacrest what brought him to Idol, he responds, “A lot of people told me to try out for American Idol. I mean, why not? What could go wrong? What’s the worst that could happen?”

Lionel Richie asks Josh what he’s going to sing, and he replies, “The song I’m going to do is ‘[Somewhere] Over the Rainbow.’ I know it’s kind of overplayed, but it’s my own arrangement of it.”

Disney/Eric McCandless

After taking his seat behind the piano, Josh belts out the classic track with a jazzy twist. While the judges are interested, they initially seem a bit underwhelmed. “My favorite times when you were singing were the times when it was simpler,” Carrie Underwood admits.

It’s Luke Bryan who suggests that Josh tries singing “My Girl” instead. “Just play the note and sing it,” he instructs. “Sing it like they wrote it.” Once Josh gets going, Bryan is on his feet dancing, while Underwood and Richie are singing along. “You got groove!” Bryan says afterward. Watch the sneak peek above.

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The results of Josh’s audition will be revealed when the episode airs. If the majority of the judges vote “yes,” that means he’ll get a golden ticket and the opportunity to head to Hollywood for the next round of competition. There are a ton of talented artists this season, so it’s definitely going to be a tough journey to find a winner!

American Idol, Season 23, Sundays, 8/7c, ABC