American Idol 25: MKY audition showcases rich family history
American Idol Season 23 Auditions continued on Sunday night with a balance of showcasing talent as well as re-experiencing Carrie Underwood’s journey on the show which seems to be a theme of the auditions. One of this week’s singers was 25-year-old MKY, also known as Mikey Jimenez, from East Los Angeles, California. (Read our Recap)
Leading up to his audition, MKY revealed that his great uncle, Little Ray Jimenez was the first Chicano Mexican-American who sang R&B soul music in the ‘60s. Additionally, his grandpa Michael was in a singing group, and his dad is an R&B singer named Myke Nez. He hopes to do his family proud.
For his audition, MKY sang “Ooo Baby Baby” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, which is a song that has been in his family for years. MKY has a very classic, timeless R&B sound. He sings with a beautiful falsetto and the ability to hit some nice runs. He performs in a charming manner, and has the potential to be the heartthrob of the season. I don’t typically care for singers who overuse falsetto, but his sound was so pleasant that it doesn’t seem to matter here. Hopefully in future performances he will show off other technical abilities, which he seems to have.
“He not only belongs to you but he belongs to the world”
After the performance Luke Bryan said his performance put him in a “crystal ball,” while Lionel Richie added that it put him in “high school. Luke asked where he learned the song, and MKY shared how the song was part of his family history and that his grandpa, who he is named after, is his biggest inspiration. The panel invited in his mom and dad. Lionel remarked that “he not only belongs to you but he belongs to the world.” Carrie added that MKY has “all the pieces.” The judges gave him 3 yeses and he soared through to the Hollywood Round.
MKY was my favorite audition of the night, but a few others had nice moments. Grayson Torrence was a flat out good singer who didn’t need a backstory as she nailed “Fall in Line.” Lashon’s fiery original “Woman” felt like a hit that is ready to go viral on Tik Tok any moment. And although his audition wasn’t worthy of a platinum ticket, Filo’s talent is undeniable even if he did far too many runs and over-sang “Try a Little Tenderness.” It was also nice to see Chayce Beckham back as Bryson Quick joined him at the Opry, even if his audition was a bit underwhelming.
