SC teen auditions for ‘American Idol’ 2024. Here’s who and what happened

Kalyn Hamilton went from playing her guitar and singing her own songs in front of her bedroom mirror to a stage in Nashville performing for the three “American Idol” judges.

The West Columbia freshman at White Knoll High School is 15. Her previous public experience consists of singing at Soda City for people walking by.

She said she loves to sing, but songwriting is something special. She said she’s written hundreds of songs, her first in third grade, “horrible.”

In an interview Friday, Hamilton said she has watched the singing competition for years with her father, uncle and grandmother and decided to try for an audition last summer. She made it through the first selection process based on a video she sent them, then to a Zoom audition with a producer.

She didn’t tell anyone she was auditioning.

But when the producer said a parent needed to give their OK since she was a minor, she freaked a bit but went outside and got her mother, who vouched for her.

Then it was on to Nashville for the in-person audition in November.

She said she was so nervous she can’t remember a lot of what happened. She sang a song she wrote called “Mirror.” It’s about teenage angst and includes the line, “The mirror is just somebody I used to know.”

She does remember what judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry said to her.

Bryan: potential superstar.

Richie: needs more experience.

Perry: not going to win this year due to lack of experience but she didn’t want to be the naysayer.

All three said their signature line, “You’re going to Hollywood.”

The last of the auditions aired Sunday night, allowing Hamilton to talk about the experience. Hollywood Week shows have already been taped and will air March 31 and April 1.

Viewers will need to wait until then to see if Hamilton made it through the Hollywood round.

Her Nashville audition was not aired, Idol spokesperson Rachel Anderson said, because of the large number of contestants who make it to the Hollywood round.

Anderson said another South Carolina auditioned before the judges, Foster Varnadore. He could not be reached for comment.

For Hamilton, it was a whirlwind three days. And she and her dad got to spend time in Santa Monica beside the Pacific Ocean.