Malaysian-Born Cheryl K Brings Lionel Richie To Tears During American Idol Auditions
We spoke with her to find out how the experience was.
By Tamara Jayne — 08 Mar 2021, 11:53 AM
Ever since she was eight, Cheryl K has dreamt of becoming a singer
Having watched American Idol since young, the Shah Alam-native had always hoped of making it to the big screen someday. And now she has!
The 25-year-old was featured in an episode that aired on Sunday, 7 March, where she performed for judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry.
Unfortunately, she didn't make it to the next round.
But she did leave an impact on Lionel Richie when she sang Endless Love together with him during the auditions. He later tweeted about her, "You brought tears and wonderful memories to my eyes today."
Speaking to SAYS, Cheryl K shares that American Idol was the reason she wanted to become a singer in the first place
"Knowing how much exposure and a challenge it is coming from Southeast Asia to compete on a platform like this, I knew it would help me grow as a singer and hopefully take me to the next level," she reveals.
Her experience has been nothing short of surreal, from watching celebrities on screen to having now met them in person.
"I got to meet Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Ryan Seacrest in person. It was even cooler because the producers of the show wanted me to bring my dog, Jimmy Choo, on this adventure with me!"
She added that she also got to work with Phredley Brown (Bruno Mars' musical director and Hooligans guitarist) as her music accompanist during her audition.
"I had so much fun meeting new people and filming on set with everyone and the whole American Idol team was so friendly and nice, which made me feel very at home."
No stranger to the music scene, Cheryl K rose to fame when she auditioned and was chosen to sing Money (That's What I Want), one of the hit songs in Crazy Rich Asians back in 2018
Since then, she has released three self-written and co-written singles, Here to Stay, who are you, and Better, as well as taken home multiple awards for her talents.
She was the opening act and special guest for the Grand Finale of the 2019 World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA), an Olympics-style competition for performing arts. The 25-year-old has also been featured in notable publications, such as The New York Times, Glamour magazine, and Billboard magazine.
Most recently, she collaborated on a duet with Guy Tang (Netflix's Bling Empire star and celebrity hair artist) called Ready2Love that released on 26 February.
On top of singing, Cheryl K, who is currently based in Los Angeles, aspires to become an actress and has collaborated with Markian and his Smile Squad team (a famous personality on Facebook and Instagram). Together, their videos have achieved over 100 million views to date.
"Somehow, the things in my life have always shown me that singing is the path and God's plan for me. I am also establishing myself as an actress and have been submitting tapes for auditions in Los Angeles."
This feature is part of the #saysplaylist series, providing your playlist with a breath of fresh Malaysian air
If you have any Malaysian bands, singers, or songs that you think we should feature, let us know!
