A ‘Certified’ Star: Mia Matthews Shines On ‘American Idol’ With Miranda Lambert Cover

19-year-old Mia Matthews has continued to showcase her artistic growth on American Idol and this week was no exception. Opting to cover Miranda Lambert‘s “Over You” during Monday’s Billboard No.1 hits night, Matthews captivated the judges with her undeniable star quality and ongoing evolution throughout the competition.

A Mentoring Session With Meghan Trainor and A Facetime Chat with Kelsea Ballerini

First, she had the opportunity to sit down with pop superstar Meghan Trainor, who made Matthews’ day by face timing her all-time favorite artist, Kelsea Ballerini. After a quick chat with Ballerini, the pair got to work on Matthews’ performance, mainly focusing on her stage presence. Trainor, a seasoned performer, encouraged the young contestant to come out of her shell a bit on stage and not to be afraid to step away from the microphone. 

Performing “Over You”

The country hopeful applied Trainor’s advice to performance and did her best to move around the stage when she could. With her guitar in hand, the singer donned a pink gown and belted out the emotional lyrics as fog arose from the stage.  

The judges were blown away by her growth as a singer and performer.  

“It’s funny because we watch you and Meghan interact and we’re kind of watching our screens and then the song comes on and then Katy and I look at each other and we’re like, ‘Oh my God!’ I mean a big part of this thing is to look like a dadgum star, and everything you’re doing right now is like star power stuff,” Luke Bryan told Matthews. “And then to go from this shy girl that we met and auditions to come out here to play guitar and look like a star and to deliver that song perfectly great job.” 

Lionel Richie also completed her growth and encouraged her to keep doing what she does best. 

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“All I’m going to say to you is that you’ve grown so much, you’ve grown so much, and you are taking control of your life, your career, and more important, your artistry,” he said. “You keep this going, I would say young lady, young, young lady. You keep this going and you’re going places. I love what you’re doing.” 

Katy Perry agreed with Bryan and called Mia Matthews a “certified looking star.” 

“Your vocals have grown so much in this process. It’s going to get tight. We’re going to 10, right? So you need to bring out one more card. And I agree with Meghan. Start moving around. Start just demanding it,” Perry continued. “I’ve seen it from you once or twice. I wanted a little more. I was waiting for that moment where you turn around and I’m playing the guitar. You need to give us that physicality to really, I think get to the very, very top. That’s going to be your ace to play.” 

Earning A Spot In The Top 10

America voted and Mia Matthews earned enough votes to continue on in the competition, earning a spot in the coveted Top 10 alongside fellow artists such as Will Moseley, Emmy Russell, Triston Harper, and more. 

American Idol returns next Sunday with guest mentor Shania Twain and performances by Idol alums Scotty McCreery and Just Sam.