'A crazy experience': Sask. American Idol contestant thankful for opportunity to show his abilities

Before last fall, Weyburn, Sask.’s Brayden King admitted he never thought he’d take part in a reality television show like American Idol.

Now the six foot nine 22-year-old country singer who currently resides in Lethbridge, Alta. is in the Hollywood round of the 21st season of the show after receiving three yeses from judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

“I made a TikTok a few years ago talking about how I would never do this,” King admitted.

King said he has spoken about how he felt the shows are possibly scripted after friends of his had negative experiences with them, he said without getting into details he was against shows like American Idol for a long time.

However, after being approached by American Idol who saw his singing videos on TikTok, King said he realized there was nothing to lose in accepting an invitation to try out for the show.

“When they approached me and said they’d fly me down and pay for everything, I realized I had nothing to lose and I might as well go and try it,” he said.

Before performing for the three celebrity judges, King said he first had to make it past two virtual auditions with executive producers.

After two successful virtual auditions, King said he was then given the opportunity to perform in front of the three celebrity judges at a hotel in Las Vegas.

“I went in and they [the judges] were very kind and we talked for quite a while and then I sang an original song of mine called ‘Down That Road’ and I honestly wasn’t very nervous in the moment,” King said.

“I definitely didn’t prepare in a similar way as I do for a show. When we go to play a show it’s like the boys and I all together smack each other on the backs and we go. Here I didn’t have the boys and there wasn’t a crowd, it’s a totally different performing experience,” King said.

After the audition, King said Bryan, Perry and Richie got him to bring his father into the room and broke the news that they had unanimously agreed to put him through to the Hollywood round.

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“It has been a very cool experience for me and I’m very thankful,” King said. “The coolest part for me has been meeting all the other artists from all these different places in America that I got to meet; it’s been a crazy experience.”

King isn’t able to say where he is currently at in the process, but said he has already performed in Hollywood and fans may be able to find out if they watch the show this Sunday and Monday.

“So what I can say is there’s I think around 170 contestants that got a golden ticket like me and as you seen in the auditions they only aired about 50 or 60 of them because obviously there wasn’t time to air everyone’s, King said.

King is not able to say if he made it through the Hollywood round and also said he isn’t sure if he’ll be featured on the show.

“I’ve just got to sit back and relax and I am going to be updating everybody when I can on my social media telling you if I made it through or if I’m coming home and everything like that.”

For now, King said it’s business as usual with a ton of demand for him to make appearances because of the increased notoriety the show has given him.

“I think people knew my name before this, but now there are a lot of people who actually care which is really cool, I’m over the moon with the amount of messages I’ve received and I’m trying to respond to as many as I can,” King said.

King’s next performances will be in Lethbridge on March 31 and in Calgary on April 7.