One of the biggest surprises from season 22 of “American Idol” is Abi Carter, a singer from California who took the show by storm from her audition. Abi’s powerful voice is only rivaled by her impressive stage presence, and an ability to make every song hers.
As one of the three Platinum Ticket holders of the “American Idol” season, there was a lot of expectation put on Abi. However, she successfully surpassed what everyone expected from her while keeping a very stable spot among the contestant groups, continuously delivering top-notch performances, putting her whole heart into everything she did in the season.
Seeing how outstanding Abi Carter’s participation in “American Idol” was, it’s unsurprising that her increasing fanbase and casual viewers wonder more about Abi, her background, family, musical influences and so much more.
So what’s the untold truth about Abi Carter? What was the result of Season 22? Don’t be impatient – stay tuned to find out!
Who Is Abi Carter?
It only takes a few seconds to hear Abi Carter singing to understand the uproar. Her journey in “American Idol” has been filled with amazing moments, showcasing her talents to the fullest.
Abi’s growing fame is even more impressive considering her young age. She was born on 31 July 2002 in Indio, California, and is the second oldest child of seven in a very religious family. She attended the Coachella Valley-based George Washington Charter School until third grade, when her parents began home-schooling her.
She did it!!! Our hometown girl Abi Carter is the winner of @AmericanIdol season 22! Congratulations Abi!! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/jIUjTufusR
— Ema Sasic (@ema_sasic) May 20, 2024
Despite Abi’s short time in public school, one of her teachers from her childhood told News Channel 3 that she had an angelic voice and heart growing up. and was an amiable kid. Eventually, Abi went back to attending high school, but her parents’ separation left her no option but to return to homeschooling while working and taking care of her younger siblings.
As Abi commented in an interview with News Channel 3 in May 2024, her early life experiences turned her into a very sheltered kid, thus it was a very welcome surprise to be received with open arms in Indio once she got back to it during her “American Idol” journey.
She’s A Fan Of The Show
One special thing about Abi Carter is that she has been a long-time fan of “American Idol”. Just as she affirmed in her audition, her young self would say ‘When I got old enough, I would do it’, so Abi getting into the show was meant to happen sooner than later.
“American Idol” has served as a big platform for Abi, allowing her to gain huge fame and the love of people through it. As proof of that, Abi was warmly welcomed by fans from her hometown Indio during her homecoming visit in the week before the season 22 finale.
As reported by local news sites, Abi re-encountered with old friends and teachers and was even rewarded with a key to the city, becoming Indio’s mayor for a day. Thousands of fans wearing shirts in support of Abi gathered around the city to express their admiration for the singer. In exchange, Abi performed a free concert in the city’s theater and visited her old school.
Regarding the recognition she received back home, Abi told News 3 Channel that it had been ‘wonderful’ and surprising to know that many people ‘knew her name’, especially considering that she had grown up very ‘sheltered’ and ‘alone’. As she affirmed, it felt similar to having ‘an entire group of friends’ around her.
Her Musical Background
Abi’s music journey started when she began singing very young, strongly influenced by her musically inclined family. She started playing piano at seven years old, and eventually developed an interest in songwriting.
Her passion for music was strongly supported by her piano teacher Marta Basham, who continued teaching her even as Abi’s family went through financial difficulties. When interviewed by the news site Desert Sun. Marta described Abi as a ‘humble, kind, compassionate and hardworking girl’.
Growing up, Abi’s talent at piano and singing became more evident, as she often performed at recitals and had the chance to show her talent at the Palm Springs-based VillageFest and the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert. She studied Psychology at San Benardino’s California State University and graduated in early 2023, yet her love for music remained in place throughout her time in college, when she split her time studying and performing around the city at parties and in country clubs, and restaurants.
Even though Abi writes her music nowadays, she also experienced the life of a cover artist in her beginnings. Her main musical influences include Sara Bareilles, Lizzy McAlpine, and Taylor Swift.
Her Outstanding Performances
While Abi Carter had plenty of experience performing on small stages, her debut in “American Idol” took her act to another level.
Everything started with her audition when her rendition of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”, immediately surprising the judges with her powerful voice. They didn’t even have to vote before giving her a Golden Ticket, though they later changed their mind for the better by giving her a Platinum Ticket, securing her place for the Idol Arena round.
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Another one of Abi’s amazing performances in the show was when she sang My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome To The Black Parade”, turning the energetic rock song into an emotional one with her voice and a slow piano melody, bringing tears to Katy Perry’s eyes.
During the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame challenge, Abi sang Elton John’s classic “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, successfully keeping her spot in the competition while receiving compliments from the judges. Later in the show, she performed Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life”, skillfully showcasing her vocals while matching the original song’s heavy emotion.
Before successfully making it into the finale, Abi impressed the judges and audience by singing Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” from the soundtrack of “Guardians of the Galaxy”, displaying her voice as powerful as ever.
Music & The Future
To date, Abi Carter has released two songs named “It’s All Love” in March 2024, and “This Isn’t Over” in May, just a couple of days before the grand finale of the 22nd season of “American Idol”.
The lack of a wide music repertoire is no problem for anyone, especially her fans. Since she debuted in “American Idol”, Abi has gained many thousands of followers on all her social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
… and the Winner is…!
To the delight of her fans, and the surprise of a few, Abi emerged the winner of Season 22 of “American Idol”, held of 21 May 2024. In performing “Bed of Roses”, written by Jon Bon Jovi, and originally performed by his band Bon Jovi; then “Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us”, by Leonard Bernstein and Stepphen Sondhe for the ‘50s Broadway hit musical “West Side Story”; and finally her own composition “This Isn’t Over”, Ari wowed both judges and audience to clinch victory in Season 22.
Having such massive and following will surely keep moving Abi’s career forward. Assisted by her win and exposure over a nimber of months and performances, she certainly seems to have a very bright path ahead of her.
