Did we just find the next winner of American Idol?
The hit ABC series is currently airing season 23, and on the March 16 episode, fans finally got to see 2025 Platinum Ticket recipient Filo audition for Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Viewers first met him during the Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special in December 2024, and since then, they’ve wondered just how much talent the R&B singer had. Well, his moment on television came — and he had everyone on their feet with his performance.
The medical school student came into the American Idol audition room to sing his take on the hit song “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding. As he brought the house down with an incredible performance, Filo managed to get the judges out of their chairs and give him a standing ovation. What’s more, Lionel and Luke couldn’t hold back how special he was — and how far he could go in the competition.
“We’ve been waiting for you. What took you so long to get here?” Lionel stated in the clip posted on YouTube.
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“Born to sing,” Luke vehemently added. “You’re gonna go far in this, in my opinion. Definitely Top 20, in my opinion — maybe Top 10. It’s perfect, in my opinion.”
After watching Filo’s incredible audition, it was clear viewers online agreed with Luke’ opinion on how amazing he was.
“He went GOSPEL. Totally Singing from His SOUL,” one person exclaimed in the comments. “Absolutely insane! This is a VOCALIST! 👏👏,” another agreed. “He has it all. His voice is so deep and rich and so emotive. Winner no matter what,” a different follower added.
Well, we certainly can understand why the judges reacted the way they did to Filo! And now that we know what Filo is capable of, we can’t wait to see him in Hollywood. And as for how he feels about receiving so much recognition (including getting a Platinum Ticket), he had an emotional response on Instagram.
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✨ Still in SHOCK!” he wrote on March 16. “I just got the PLATINUM Ticket to Hollywood! 🎟️🌟 Huge thanks to @CarrieUnderwood, @LukeBryan, and @LionelRichie! 🎤 Such an incredible honor! 🙌.”
