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16-year-old pop artist Stefan Benz recently auditioned for the latest season of American Idol season 21. The songwriter and singer has become a young icon and recently attended the 65th Grammy Awards on February 5, 2023, in Los Angeles.
American Idol season 21 is off to a terrific start, with many candidates being shortlisted to enter the Hollywood Week round after their auditions in Las Vegas. With several emotional moments and the declaration of the first Platinum ticket winner of the season, the sixth installment of ABC's American Idol has left fans glued to their screens.
American Idol season 21 contestant Stefan Benz became popular online for his song covers
16-year-old Stefan Benz is a well-known pop singer. As per TIP Idol spoilers, the young music star made it to the American Idol Season 21 Showcase Round among the Top 55 contenders.
He will be seen going live in front of the judges on February 26, 2023.
Stefan Benz was born on September 26, 2006, in Johannesburg, South Africa, and currently resides in Los Angeles. He began songwriting and performing in 2017 and from a very young age, displayed great potential in his mastery of music and other artistic skills that contributed to his climb to stardom.
The American Idol contestant first became well-known for covering other popular songs by creating and sharing piano cover versions of songs by his favorite artists like Ed Sheeran, Charlie Puth, and Richard Marx on Instagram and YouTube, which he started in 2018. More recently, he has begun to release his own music.
On his YouTube channel, Stefan Benz has amassed over 13,839,098 views and is frequently spotted at important occasions like the VMAs and the Grammy Awards. He excels at playing the guitar, piano, and ukulele, among other instruments.
Stefan, a South African singer, has the most Instagram followers of any contender in the American Idol season. He attended the 2022 American Music Awards and has walked the red carpet for numerous other award shows.
As per Mjsbigblog, Stefan is managed by Creative Artists Agency, and after making it to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Championship of Performing Arts and winning the same at the age of 11, Charlie Walk signed him into Hit Music Partners.
Benz was the youngest artist in the nation to achieve the milestone when his single Cool 4 Me rose to the position of number one hit song in South Africa at the age of 12. He has performed on Good Day NY, Radio Disney, and began the US Open ceremonies in 2019.
In terms of Stefan's social media presence, his music has received over 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and he has close to 236K Instagram followers. His 2020 single, Simplify, is his most streamed song on Spotify, receiving over 400,000 streams.
Stefan also appeared on Sean Kingston's EP, Sean Kingston Hits (The Re-Records), where he sings the portion originally performed by Justin Bieber in the re-recording of Eenie Meenie.
Babysitter, his most recent single was released on January 27, 2023. It is Stefan's first song, and in a way, marks the beginning of Stefan getting older and becoming more of an adult. He continues:
"It's based on genuine events and a babysitter I had a crush on when I was little."
A quick recap as to what transpired following the premiere of American Idol 2023
Country singing icon Luke Bryan, pop princess Katy Perry and Rock 'N Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie had jaw-dropping moments as they witnessed the sheer talent brought forth by the 21st season of American Idol. The initial audition rounds were held in New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Nashville
Contestants Zachariah Smith, Lucy Love, Haven Madison, L. Rich, Luke Bryan, Katey Parry, Kya Monee’, and Jack Nicora were seen competing for the ticket to move on to the next round.
Returning participant Kya Monee, who had performed a duet with the late Willie Spence back in season 19, spoke movingly about her relationship with Spence, the pain of losing such a dear friend, and the significance of pursuing her ambition in his memory.
William Tongi moved judges with the heartbreaking story of his dad Rodney passing away, leaving him to carry forward the legacy of music. His performance earned him a golden ticket.
The Platinum Ticket was introduced in American Idol Season 20. The only person to obtain this special ticket was one performer from each of the three audition cities.
17-year-old Tyson Venegas from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, impressed judges with his performance of Billy Joel’s, New York State of Mind and won the iconic Platinum Ticket, the first in the season, thereby advancing him to Hollywood Week.
The next episode of American Idol season 21 will air next Sunday, February 26, 2023, at 8 pm ET only on ABC.
