Luke Bryan Deems ‘American Idol’ Contestant Makayla Phillips ‘The Next Ariana Dadgum Grande’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O60XoQ0dY04 It appears the new crop of American Idol talent is quite impressive as AI judge Luke Bryan thinks they’ve…

Andrew Wendowski

| Posted on

March 16, 2020

8:30 pm

‘American Idol’ Contestant Makayla Phillips; Photo by Eric McCandless/ABC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O60XoQ0dY04

It appears the new crop of American Idol talent is quite impressive as AI judge Luke Bryan thinks they’ve already found the next Ariana Grande.

American Idol contestant Makayla Phillips shocked the judges with her fabulous vocals during her cover of Jennifer Hudson’s “And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going” during her Hollywood week performance.

“I mean, she is the next Ariana Dadgum Grande y’all,” complimented Bryan.

“She’s so gosh darn beautiful too,” Katy Perry added.

Bryan wasn’t kidding. Makayla Phillips’ vocals are noticeably similar to the falsetto range by the pop superstar Ariana Grande.

Actually, in a 2018 interview with Talent Recap, the aspiring artist even mentioned that Ariana Grande inspires her.

Phillips is no stranger to singing competitions, having been on a few in the past. She appeared on Americas Got Talent in 2018, where she performed “Warrior” by Demi Lovato. Her performance was so good that it earned her a golden buzzer from Heidi Klum. During the quarterfinals of AGT, she performed Julia Michaels’ “Issues” which earned her praised from Klum as being better than the original after a massive standing ovation.

Written by

Andrew Wendowski

Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a self-taught entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.