American Idol 2025: Drew Ryn, former X Factor contestant, says yes to herself with original song “Walk on Water”
The American Idol Season 23 auditions continued on Sunday night (March 23) with more strong contenders, including Drew Ryn, a face that may be familiar to singing show fans. (Read our Recap)
The singer arrived at her audition with her childhood karaoke microphone. It’s American Idol branded and came with “A Moment Like This” programmed on it. Drew was 8 years old when she got it. Clips of the young singer revealed her happily singing along to Kelly Clarkson. Drew’s mom explained that she had no idea her daughter could sing. Drew is 27 years old and originally from Chino Valley, Arizona but now resides in Nashville.
However, the audition clip did not include a notable aspect of Drew’s biography. Over a decade ago the singer, who went by Drew Ryniewicz, finished in 6th place during Season 1 of The X Factor USA She was a fan favorite who produced a few viral moments including an incredible cover of “It Must Have Been Love” during the Judges Houses round. Check out her audition where she flipped “Baby” by Justin Bieber.
In a journal Drew brought to her audition, it revealed that her first concert was a Carrie Underwood concert. As her family drove home that night, her mom said, “See, that could be you up there.” For the judges she sang an original song, a powerful pop ballad titled “Walk on Water.” Her enunciation was clear which made it easy to feel all the words. She balanced the quiet moments with some beautiful belts. She’s got great control over her instrument coupled with an outstanding tone. It is one of the best auditions of the entire season.
“You just opened your mouth and told us who you were”
Luke Bryan likened her voice to a “projecting whisper” which the other judges agreed with. He called it one of his favorites of the day. Lionel Richie remarked, “You just opened your mouth and told us who you were.” Drew was excited to hear their positive reaction. Carrie called her “believable” and thought choosing the original for her audition “paid off.” Drew jokingly voted first and gave herself a yes before all three judges voted and sent her through to Hollywood.
Drew’s audition was my favorite of the night. But I enjoyed performances from a few other contestants including Jamal Roberts’ take on “Mary Jane” by Rick James. The audition featured well-done soulful runs that showed his potential. Although inexperienced, the original song Nina Daig wrote for her brother stood out amongst the other auditions. Her slightly country sound revealed a singer with potential.
