Entertainment

'Idol' Includes An Inspiring Comeback This Season

by Danielle Santola

American Idol is hoping to bounce back this season with several changes could make or break the show. Before the show even premiered on Jan. 7, Idol Season 14's Top 24 was revealed in a new attempt to gain fans and voters in advance. But remaining true to Idol this season is the ever-entertaining auditions,

and as usual we saw some familiar faces. After auditioning for Idol on four different occasions, 19-year-old singer Sarina-Joi Crowe is finally a finalist as she will rightfully take the stage as one of the Top 12 girls.

Watching Sarina's audition, it blows my mind that she hadn't made it this far before. The only thing better than a contestant coming back and making it after an initial failed attempt is coming back and making it to the live rounds. But to come back after three attempts and completely wow the judges on the fourth time around is simply unheard of.

The large majority of aspiring singers would take their first one or two no's and move in another direction, but not this girl. Sarina came back even more determined each time and was confident that she would eventually sway the judges. She finally has. And here are four reasons Sarina will be the one to watch this season.

She Comes Prepared

Not only was her song choice an incredibly smart one, but she came to Nashville knowing exactly what went wrong the first three times. The 19-year-old showed the judges that she is a completely different person from when she was 15. She certainly wasn't holding back this time and it obviously paid off. The judges didn't even have to vote for Sarina to know she made it. They're finally noticing her and it's time we did, too.

She Has The Look

I want to say that what we see now is the best version of Sarina. Unlike the first three times she's auditioned, this is a face I'll remember. The girl in the bright yellow shoes, shorts and a blazer that we saw in Episode 2 is the type of girl who has the "package" the judges are always talking about. The girl in this video is flawlessly singing the song that didn't get her through her first Hollywood round, but the new Sarina has the same chops and the look to go with it.

She Has the Experience

Failing to make it far in her first three seasons doesn't make Sarina a weaker competitor by any means — it actually makes her stronger. She has an advantage because she's already been through Hollywood Week, she's been through Group Rounds, and she's been through them as a minor. More importantly, Sarina knows what rejection feels like and she obviously knows how to use it to make her stronger. She used the time she had in between each audition to practice, perform and ultimately improve.

Dreamers Will Have Her Back

When the live rounds finally begin, Sarina has my full confidence that her journey will inspire others to follow their own dreams. It isn't an easy thing to hear so many no's in your life and keep pushing through. Sarina is living proof that you can't give up on what you love. People look up to young women like Sarina and those are the kinds of people who will vote for her.

Images: Fox (Screengrab)