Rising superstar and singer-songwriter Abi Carter is one of the remaining five contestants of American Idol Season 22.
Abi made headlines in the May 5 edition of the beloved reality series after a stunning performance of Adele's "Hello" and Fall Out Boy's "Light 'Em Up."
American Idol judge Lionel Richie (via People) offered high praise for her performance, saying, "That was her best. That was her best in her best."
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4 Things To Know about American Idol's Abi Carter
Abi Carter Earned the Platinum Ticket on American Idol Season 22
Abi Carter earned the Platinum Ticket in American Idol Season 22 after she sang Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" during the audition process. The ticket sent her straight to the second tier of the competition rounds, giving her an advantage over the rest of the contestants.
The 21-year-old singer-songwriter spoke with Parade to talk about being a Platinum Ticket holder for the new season, saying that "it's really hard being put on a pedestal in the very, very beginning:"
“I think that it’s really hard being put on a pedestal in the very, very beginning. Then you feel like you have to live up to that pedestal. But getting to this point, everybody is just so talented, there really is nobody that’s above or below anybody else. I think it’s just we’re all different, and that’s what it’s going to come down to.”
Carter is grateful for the experience week after week. She told The Desert Sun that "it's been insane" that she gets to do what she loves consistently:
"I get to do what I love every single day. I get to go out there and I get to find songs that I love to sing and go on a stage and perform them for the whole world to see. It’s been insane."
Heading into the Top 5 rounds, it is now or never for Abi Carter.
Abi Loves Music Ever Since She Was a Kid
Abi Carter, who hails from Indio, California, grew up in a household filled with music.
The rising superstar fell in love with music as a kid due to her experience in singing in church, joining competitions, and taking risks in talent shows.
Carter's official bio even mentioned that she was singing before she was born, with a nurse describing "her as humming through the ultrasound during one of her mother's doctor visits."
Speaking in a separate interview with The Desert Sun in March 2024, Carter shared her love for piano growing up, noting that she started playing the instrument when she was 7 years old while also praising her mentor, Marta Basham:
"I started playing piano when I was about 7 or 8. I went to piano lessons with Marta Basham. She’s just the salt of the earth, the absolute kindest woman in the entire world. When it came to the point where my family could no longer afford piano lessons, she just continued to do it for free because she believed so much in me. A lot of me feels like I owe so much to her because not only did she continue to push me in my passions, she recognized that I had a passion."
Carter also acknowledged the fact that her mom is a singer, pointing out that she "definitely took a lot of [the passion for singing] from her:"
"I’ve been singing for as long as I could speak. My mom was a singer, so she was always singing around the house and singing us to sleep, so I think I definitely took a lot of that passion from her, and Marta helped me hone in on that. Once I got a job, I was able to start paying for piano lessons."
Carter's passion for music is undeniable since her official bio revealed that she would give time to play gigs in various places like restaurants, birthday parties, and even busk on the street.
Abi Graduated Summa Cum Laude
Abi Carter graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in psychology at the California State University San Bernardino at Palm Desert.
In the same interview with The Desert Sun, Carter opened up about being homeschooled as a kid:
"I was homeschooled for most of my life. I went to (George) Washington Charter (School) up until third grade and from there I was homeschooled. I went to less than one semester at La Quinta High School, and it was during that time that my parents separated."
The American Idol contestant also reflected on helping her siblings with their schooling as well:
"My mom had to start going back to school to get a degree to support all of us. I, subsequently, kind of had to leave public high school and go back into homeschooling so that I could get a job to be able to buy a car and take my siblings to and from school and extracurricular activities because my mom was then occupied with her schooling. Ironically, I ended up going to the same school that my mom did, California State University San Bernardino at the Palm Desert campus. I got a degree in psychology, and I graduated summa cum laude."
Abi’s Debut Single Is Titled ‘It’s All Love’
Abi Carter has a debut single titled "It's All Love," a song inspired by her personal experience of finding the right person at the wrong time.
In her official bio, Carter said that her romantic experience was "the greatest love story of all time" which carried over to her song.
Carter's music is inspired by an impressive list of artists, such as Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Lizzy McAlpine, and Sara Bareilles.
The young singer has one goal: to sing a song that "moves people:"
“I believe in the things I sing. I try not to sing just because it sounds pretty; the best singers connect with what they’re saying. That’s what moves people.”
Carter also told The Desert Sun about her journey in writing her own music, acknowledging that it all started with the songs that she heard on the radio:
"In the beginning, I was definitely enamored with playing songs that I would hear on the radio. ‘Say Something’ by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera was a very big piano song, and I remember being able to sit down and figure that one out and being so excited about it, and then ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele. I think playing all of that made me realize that I wanted to do things that I so deeply related to, so I started writing my own music."
How To Follow Abi Carter Online
For more updates about Abi Carter, fans can follow her on Instagram (@abicartermusic) and TikTok (@abicartermusic).
New episodes of American Idol Season 22 air every Sunday on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
