Indian-American singer Sonika Vaid, 20, is one of the early favorite contestants of "American Idol" Season 15. According to an alleged leaked list, the college student who grew up in Weston and is a resident of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, made it to Top 24.
There are 13 females and 11 males in the "American Idol" Season 15 Top 24, including "American Idol" Season 14 alums Emily Brooke, Cory Wheeler and Adam Lasher and "American Idol" Season 11 alum Stephany Negrete, according to The Idol Pad.
Joining Vaid and Brooke in the Top 13 females, according to the list released by the publication, are Jenn Blosil, Amelia Eisenhauer, Gianna Isabella, Tristan McIntosh, Jeneve Mitchell, Jenna Renae, LaPorsha Renae, Olivia Rox, Avalon Young and Shelbie Zora. The other male contestants in the Top 24 are said to be MacKenzie Bourg, James Dawson VIII, Trent Harmon, Lee Jean, C.J. Johnson, Dalton Rapattoni, Jordan Sasser, Thomas Stringfellow and Manny Torres.
During her audition, Vaid performed "Look at Me" by "American Idol" Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood. Judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. unanimously liked her performance.
It was Vaid's mother who taught her how to sing and it was her grandfather who taught her mother. Growing up in India, her grandfather used singing to fight his siblings for his parents' attention, Cape Cod Times has learned.
To realize her dream to become a singer, Vaid tried out for "The Voice" Season 4 in 2013 but the slots had already been filled up. After failing to enter the NBC reality talent show, she decided to audition for the final season of "American Idol" in Denver, Colorado.
After Lopez, Urban and Connick decided to put her through the Hollywood Week, Vaid said she could not believe what was happening. She said Lopez was one of her idols and even begged her mother to buy her the CD with the song "Jenny from the Block" when she was a kid.
A small camera crew followed Vaid to Martha's Vineyard months before the "American Idol" Season 15 premiere. Her parents have a home in the island of Vineyard Haven, which holds a special place in the Indian-American singer's heart.
For Vaid, Vineyard Haven is very special and out of the ordinary and she is willing to shave her head to come back to the island. Watch her rendition of Underwood's "Look at Me" here: