Sonika Vaid is the 20-year-old singer from Weston, Massachusetts who’s competing on the fifteenth and final season of American Idol. At her audition, she nailed Carrie Underwood’s “Look at Me.” Sonika chose it because as she said, “it came naturally to me and it felt right to sing.” It seems every song Sonika sings comes naturally to her.
Her rendition of the Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars song “Safe and Sound” provoked judge Harry Connick Jr to say, “It was one of the more emotional performances I’ve seen.” All of the American Idol judges agree Sonika has a beautiful voice but they see room for improvement, too. Here are three things Sonika needs to do in order to win American Idol:
- Keep it emotional.
- Make the words fit. Connick suggests: “Really accommodate the words even more because when you equate that with your ability to sing – it’s very powerful stuff.”
- Choose wisely. As Jennifer Lopez told Sonika: “Choose songs that really make you feel something – instead of stuff that just suits your voice, something that makes your heart sing.”
American Idol airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm on FOX.
