"Awesome voice and vibe" — American Idol fans react to Clara Rae's audition

American Idol season 23 returned with a new episode on March 30, 2025. It saw a new lineup of aspiring singers step on the stage during the final night of auditions to impress the panel of experts. One among them was 22-year-old Clara Rae, a country artist, who wowed the judges with her unique take on Imagine Dragons' Radioactive, earning herself a ticket to Hollywood Week.

Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan were surprised yet impressed by the country singer's rendition of the pop-rock song. They recognized her potential and wanted to hear more of her musical abilities. Consequently, they took a vote and unanimously decided to send her through to the next stage of the competition.

Halfway through her performance, Luke suggested that Clara drop her guitar and sing the song a cappella. She took his advice and presented the rest of her audition without relying on an instrument. While most judges appreciated her voice, some were moved by her unique song choice.

American Idol fans were equally touched by her act. They took to X to share their opinions on Clara's audition. Most praised her voice and skills, however, some felt otherwise.

"Alright, I like this Clara Rae girl. Awesome voice and vibe," a fan wrote.

"Love Clara Rae’s voice! Seems like a really sweet girl too," another fan commented.

"I could hardly understand or hear the words #ClaraRae was singing and she was very off-key. A cute young lady but it would have been a not yet for me!! Thoughts anyone? Wrong song for her in my opinion.." a netizen tweeted.

Many American Idol fans appreciated Clara's performance and were convinced by her musical abilities.

"@ItsClaraRae - Bring that uniqueness in your voice! And get writing on that very cool lyric for a song! Looking forward to hearing more from you!" a user reacted.

"Sure Clara Rae has a very s*xy tone, but her dynamic control is phenomenal. It's unfair that a person with this much talent is also that beautiful," a person commented.

"Clara Rae: TikTok star-turned-Idol. She's one of the best singers on TikTok," another fan wrote.

"This is a great performance by clara rae," one user posted.

Other American Idol fans expressed a similar sentiment.

"Clara’s voice fit VERY WELL with Radio Active," a person reacted.

"So good… and so cool to drop the guitar and sing a cappella was brilliant," another netizen commented.

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What did the American Idol experts say about Clara Rae's performance?

While introducing herself to the American Idol judges, Clara Rae described herself as the "girl in the corner of the bar with her acoustic guitar." Luke praised Clara's voice, saying she was one of his favorites he heard in Nashville, and explained that he asked her to stop playing the guitar because he wanted to hear "everything" about what went on in her voice.

"Your voice is like really unique. I mean, from the first note, I mean, me and Carrie went, 'Uh ho, hello!'" he added.

Carrie mentioned that Clara's song choice was "a surprise" but was "great." She applauded the American Idol singer for making the song her own, saying it was "very cool."

Lionel echoed Luke, explaining that auditioners often "hide" behind the instrument they played by playing it as loud as they could so their flaws could go unnoticed.

"You have that rasp in that voice of yours. Um, that is your sound and your tone. You have a unique tool there," he said.

Carrie chimed in, saying Clara had a "super cool" voice and asked her who prompted her toward singing. Clara revealed it was her father who pushed her to pursue music. The American Idol panelists then took a vote, and with three yeses, advanced Clara to the next round of the competition, making her emotional.

"'This is not my real life,' that's what I'm thinking right now. I can't believe this is real," Clara said.

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American Idol season 23 releases new episodes every Sunday at 8 pm ET exclusively on ABC.