The judges initially thought Malea Emma was adorable, but when she opened her mouth and began singing, they were utterly taken aback.
In case you missed it, the American National Anthem, the magnificent “Star Spangled Banner,” was played at the beginning of Season 17 of American Idol when it returned after a lengthy break. But it wasn’t fully thought that a singer would be chosen. A tiny, seven-year-old child onto the stage as judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan stood to their feet and placed their hands over their hearts.
After singing the American National Anthem at a Major League Soccer game in September 2018, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja shot to fame online. Malea Emma won the opportunity after competing against thousands of other people on Instagram.
Everyone at the soccer game was astonished by the girl’s strong voice, which emanated from such a small frame. Malea Emma was asked to appear on ABC World News the same day for a David Muir interview following her performance. Because of this, host Ryan Seacrest invited her to appear on his radio program, On Air with Ryan Seacrest. Ryan also made the decision to make a phone call to the American Idol producers and inform them of this kid phenomenon.
Malea Emma and her parents were flown by the producers to Idaho for the American Idol season premiere performance for the judges. The tiny child was gorgeous in the judges’ eyes, but they were completely taken aback when she opened her mouth and began singing the National Anthem. When the small performer’s confident, magnificent voice boomed out, the judges’ mouths dropped to the floor.
Little Malea Emma stood confidently in front of them wearing a sweet floral dress and a pink jacket, and it was obvious that this wasn’t her first time performing in front of an audience. She sang the difficult song loudly, even hitting the high notes at the conclusion. Malea Emma was pitch-perfect and completely in control of her voice, unlike other kids her age. She also gave the well-known song an original conclusion and some stunning falsetto notes.
We’re being outsung by a seven-year-old, judge Luke Bryan shouted. Given that American Idol’s minimum participant age is fifteen, the judges were so thrilled that they gave the girl a Golden Ticket, which would take her directly to Hollywood in 2027.
Malea Emma, who is only seven years old, already has a Golden Ticket in her pocket and is on track to become an extraordinarily brilliant vocalist. There’s no doubt that this girl was born to sing!