The third time Meggie Iyer tried out for “American Idol,” she finally got an opportunity to audition for celebrity judges. She certainly made the most of it.
The 2023 Carmel High School graduate earned a ticket to the Hollywood portion of the show with a cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry each gave thumbs up to Iyer’s performance, with Perry declaring she was Top Ten material. Iyer was featured Feb. 18 on the Season 22 premiere.
“I’ve been dreaming about going on ‘American Idol” for practically my entire life,” the Indiana University freshman said. “I grew up watching the show. So, it was really a dream come true to be able to audition on such an amazing, well-known stage. I felt like I wasn’t expecting as good of a reaction as I got from the judges. So, when I got such an amazing reaction, I felt really shocked and I was so excited.”
The audition was in Leesburg, Ga., Bryan’s hometown. Iyer sang the same song in Midtown’s Got Talent in Carmel in 2023, winning the teen division.
“I think it’s a song that reflects my vocal talent very well,” Iyer said. “I’d worked really hard to get to that point. That took a lot of dedication, and being a first-year student at the Kelley School of Business, I really had to learn how to tackle both of those giants. Preparing for such a big audition and maintaining my academic work (was challenging), and at times I wondered (if) what I was doing to prepare for ‘American Idol’ was enough, but I think that it turned out really well.”
Iyer was emotional when she saw the judges’ reaction.
“When Katy Perry started to stand up and clap. I think it was a huge, huge moment for me,” Iyer said. “I immediately started crying, and then when Lionel and Luke followed, I about lost it, like I was so surprised and excited to have gotten that reaction from them.”
Iyer said she is excited for friends and family to see her progress.
“I want everyone to see my musicality as they follow along with the process,” she said.
Iyer is majoring in finance and accounting. She is taking a music career development class this semester.
“I want to prepare myself for a career business-related or music-related, or both,” Iyer said.
