American Idol has concluded its auditions for Season 18, and will next kick off Hollywood week with all the talent amassed so far. As usual, there were a few Hollywood-bound contestants whose tryouts didn't make the television edits, though one in particular feels like a glaring omission. The ABC competition omitted one of its most notable contestants, Vivian Hicks, so now audiences won't get to see her until the first round of eliminations.
Vivian Hicks' name may not be instantly familiar to older crowds, but she's developed quite a popular following among younger generations. Hicks has earned a considerable following on TikTok, boasting 1.3 million followers on the video platform. She's no slouch on Instagram either, with 386,000+ faithful fans. With that kind of audience at her back, one would think American Idol would make a point to show her off, as a way to build upon the key 18-49 age demographic. However, Hicks had to save her big moment for social media.
American Idol's reason for leaving Vivian Hicks out of its audition footage isn't immediately clear, though it's worth noting that she's seemingly on another level from other competitors showcased thus far. Hell, she's got more online followers than some American Idol winners, and certainly more than the singers she'll be competing against next week and possibly beyond.
In addition to her built-in popularity, Vivian Hicks has got quite a voice. Part of the massive following Hicks has racked up on TikTok came to watch her impressive covers of popular songs. (She also puts the vids on YouTube, for those without TikTok inclinations.) It doesn't take a whole lot of listening to hear that she's American Idol material.
Again, though, it's surprising that American Idol decided not to show her audition, though she's almost definitely not the first Idol hopeful to go unseen until Hollywood. Perhaps the producers were so impressed, they wanted to save her TV debut until this next round, where she'll blow the audience away with her rendition of some popular Disney song or something to that effect. On the flip side, Hicks might be one of the many that gets cut in Hollywood, so not showing her audition might be ABC's way of getting ahead of any possible fan backlash.
If Vivian Hicks survives to the audience vote, however, her Season 18 competitors should watch out. Hicks has a small army of followers the likes American Idol has rarely seen, if ever. Personally, I think she'd be very hard to beat with that many potential followers ready to rain votes down on her, and as previous seasons have shown, even the greatest singing talents can fall to the will of the masses. That's not to say Hicks isn't deserving, but is she as great as some of the folks Season 18 has shown thus far?
It's a question American Idol will soon answer, as the Hollywood rounds begin on ABC on Monday, March 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the competition, and for the latest major news happening in television and movies.
