Zareh, a 21-year old American Idol Season 20 contestant, recreated a special moment for her mother Nadia by wearing her mom’s same audition outfit after 17 years.
Longtime viewers noticed a familiar face and a familiar halter-top on Sunday’s fourth auditions episode of American Idol season 20.
Zareh, a twenty-one-year-old fashion stylist, arrived with her mother, American Idol Season 4 top eight finalist Nadia Turner, donning the same gold-embroidered camisole she wore on Idol for the first time in 2005.
Of course, the judges and host Ryan Seacrest were astonished, but no one was more surprised than Nadia, who was duped into attending Zareh’s audition under the impression that they were going to have a mother-daughter spa day.
Nadia had no idea where she was because Zareh had blindfolded her on the way to the Idol set, but her jaw dropped as Ryan held her hands and said, “This .… is American Idol.:
Once she got past her disappointment at not being able to go to “the darn spa” with Zareh, she seemed overjoyed to see Ryan and see her daughter relive American Idol history.
“She can totally sing!” Nadia remarked to her old chum Ryan as she was genuinely glowing while listening to Zareh.
The proud mama, who had been dancing along to the performance, eventually began to cry.
“She’s crying, but she’s gyrating,” Lionel Richie joked. Therefore, Lionel kindly loaned her one of his handkerchiefs, which he quickly regretted after he and Katy Perry both went teary-eyed.
Nadia was an early standout on American Idol Season 4 (the Carrie Underwood/Bo Bice Season), and it was an absolute pity that she did not make it any further than eighth place.
The rock ‘n’ soul diva had a strong stage presence and star potential, but she was a few years ahead of her time. Is this, however, Zareh’s time? That will have to wait and see.
She did not bring her mother’s rawness and sass to Jazmine Sullivan’s breakup anthem “Bust Your Windows.” She looked fashionable and had a wonderfully silky, soulful voice.
Zareh was even instructed by Judge Luke Bryan to “gritty it up” and “put some stank and grease on it.”
Zareh did receive a golden ticket, and an enthralled Katy said she had a “cool vibe” and “the beginnings of what might be a true artist,” so maybe she will end up beside her mother on an updated edition of Yahoo’s Coolest Idols list one day.
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