"I’ll forever cherish these moments, memories & friends" - American Idol star MKY shares a heartfelt message after his elimination

American Idol season 23 episode 11, Songs of Faith, premiered on ABC on April 20. The three-hour Easter special episode showcased the contestants singing songs that best expressed their meaning of faith.

By the end of the episode, out of the 24 singers that hit the stage, 20 advanced to the next round while four faced elimination and were sent home.

MKY, one of the four eliminated contestants, shared a heartfelt message after the episode, expressing his gratitude for the journey. The April 15 Instagram post featured a black and white photo of him singing solo under the spotlight.

In the caption of the post, he shared that he would always remember the memories and the friends he made during his stint on the show. Additionally, he noted that he would forever be grateful for representing LA on the national stage.

"I’ll forever cherish these moments, memories & friends I’ve made on this journey and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to sing and represent LOS ÁNGELES on the national stage," he wrote.

Further in the caption, the American Idol star shared that while his time on the ABC show was over, he'd like to welcome and embrace all the new love and supporters he gained through it.

---

Who is American Idol season 23 contestant MKY? Life and background explored

American Idol season 23 contestant MKY is a 25-year-old singer from Los Angeles. After getting introduced during episode 3 auditions, the participant impressed the judges during the Disney resort week and entered the top 24.

However, his journey came to an end in episode 11, as he struggled to stand out vocally and was eliminated before reaching the top 20.

While MKY was upset about his elimination, he was happy to represent LA on the big stage and was excited for his promising future.

In his audition video package featured in episode 3, MKY shared that music runs deep in his family, describing it as being in his blood and DNA. He proudly spoke about his great-uncle, Little Ray Jimenez, who was the first Chicano Mexican American singing R&B-soul music in the ‘60s.

MKY further talked about his grandfather, sharing that he considered him to be his inspiration.

"My grandfather sang with a soul group called Tierra, and my dad sings R&B-soul. So, it’s in me. My family has been chasing this dream, and they passed it on to me,” he continued.

Later in the Hollywood Week: Showstopper episode, which premiered on April 6, MKY performed Sabor a Mí in full Spanish. Before the performance, the reality show presented a video package for him where he can be seen driving around the city, spending time with his family, and talking about the importance of his culture

In an exclusive interview with LA’s Power 106 on April 2, MKY shared that before auditioning for American Idol season 23, he was considering giving up on music after he failed to see any results despite his immense hard work.

“There’s definitely dark times. I was just at a point where I’m like, ‘Either I can give up 10 years of hard work or I can keep going. And then the ‘American Idol’ opportunity came. But before that, I was like, ‘For sure I just need something because the world is not paying attention,'” he shared.

The American Idol star concluded:

“I try to stay true to my art because it’s art at the end of the day, and I feel like the world will catch up eventually.”

---

American Idol season 23 episodes premiere every Sunday/Monday on ABC, and are available to stream on Hulu a day later.