Controversy Brews as 'American Idol' Accused of Repurposing Talent from 'The Voice'
American Idol viewers are keen-eyed watchers. Their eyes zoom in on any familiar face from past shows. Some contestants this season have been in the spotlight before. For example, Hallie Mia and the Alabama Sisters appeared on another famous singing program. You may think, "Haven't I seen them before?" You're not the only one.
As per PressBee, Hailey Mia performed on The Voice in 2021. Mia and Jessie Matthews, the Alabama Sisters, sang with mom Tara Matthews in 2020. Some fans spot these stars across different shows. They discuss their discoveries on platforms like X, formerly Twitter.
“Wasn't Hayley Mia also on #TheVoice? #AmericanIdol,” asked one curious fan. Another pointed out, "Hailey Mia literally placed 4th on #thevoice so why is she auditioning on #americanidol." And the connections don't stop there, as one keen observer noted, "Hailey Mia and the sisters from #TheVoice's Worth the Wait are now on the current season of #AmericanIdol." Despite their previous appearances, Hailey and the Alabama Sisters brought their A-game to the Idol stage for the Season 22 auditions. Among them, Hailey came up as a fan favorite who won hearts with her mesmerizing performance.
Recently, during an episode shot at Disney's Aulani resort in Hawaii, Hailey wowed the audience with her performance of Tate McRae's "She's All I Wanna Be." As mentioned by The U.S. Sun, The beach stage became an arena for them, where they effortlessly commanded the crowd's attention and earned thunderous applause after the song.
However, stars like Hailey also faced criticism, and judge Katy Perry did not hold back. While praising Hailey's ability to charm the audience, Katy couldn't help but express disappointment about the song's key and overall impact. "Is this the original key in which Tate does this?" she asked, indicating her preference for a different key and suggesting that Hailey could have added more polish to her performance.
Despite the harsh criticism, Hailey's talent blossomed and she earned a spot in the top 24 of the season. Still, some fans couldn't help but notice Katy's harsher tone this year, with comments like "Katy Perry is a little harsher this year and not cartoonish" circulating on X. Others speculated on Katy's criticism of female singers, highlighting the additional scrutiny they appear to face. "Why does she always have more critique of the women than she does of the men?" one user commented. "I don't feel like these women deserve Katy's wrath," a viewer joked.
As the competition grows, fans root for their favorites, whether they're familiar faces or new discoveries. And for contestants like Hallie Mia and the Alabama Sisters, their journey from one stage to the next adds to the excitement of the latest season of American Idol.
