WATCH: This Chicano Singer Covered a Luis Miguel Classic on ‘American Idol’
AMERICAN IDOL – “807 (Hollywood Week: Showstopper)” – “American Idol” competitors bring their A-game in the “Showstopper” episode, delivering powerful performances that could make or break their journey to fame. Jelly Roll joins as the first artist in residence to guide them along the way. SUNDAY, APRIL 6 (8:00-10:01 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (Disney/Eric McCandless) MKY
A Chicano singer made his mark on American Idol last night (April 6) in Spanish. MKY honored his Mexican roots by performing Luis Miguel’s “Sabor a Mí” during the Hollywood Week round.
MKY is the artistic name of Michael “Mikey” Jimenez. The East L.A. native was briefly a part of the boy band 4th Ave, which he departed from in 2019. Now MKY has become a standout on season 23 of American Idol.
Last month, MKY auditioned with the oldies classic “Ooo Baby Baby” by the Miracles, which received a standing ovation from judge Lionel Richie. He revealed that he comes from a family of musicians, including his great uncle Little Ray and his late grandfather Mike Jimenez of Tierra.
As a part of the Hollywood Week: Showstopper round last night, MKY hit the stage dressed like a fifties heartthrob. He joked about having a lot of his family come out to support him by saying, “I’m going to have a big section in the audience.” MKY played the guitar while performing Miguel’s “Sabor a Mí.”
“I’m singing in full Spanish and ‘Sabor a Mí’ is such a huge staple song of the culture,” he added. “And it means a lot for me to sing in Spanish on American Idol. I’ve waited my whole life for this opportunity.”
MKY’s dreamy performance has received a lot of praise online and he’s also been compared to the late icon behind “La Bamba.” One person on X wrote, “If you’re watching @AmericanIdol don’t forget to vote for the boy MKY he reminds me of a young Ritchie Valens. Voice is amazing!!” Another person added, “MKY could easily be the next big Latin star #americanidol.”
Hollywood Week continues tonight with the Head to Head round. MKY and the rest of the contestants will pair up for duet battles to see who will make it into the Top 24.
American Idol airs on Sunday and Monday nights at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.