When Ajii appeared on the premiere episode of American Idol’s 22nd season, his voice had judges awe-struck from the first to last line. This care home security guard spent his night shifts singing down the hallways, captivating his co-workers with his insanely soulful voice. Taking his showmanship to the American Idol audition room in 2024, Ajii received top-of-the-class comments from all three pop star judges, sending him straight through to the next stage.
Against a live grand piano, Ajii’s audition saw him cover Teddy Swims’ first US #1 single, “Lose Control” – a Cee Lo Green-style smash hit from the previous summer. But this Brooklyn-born singer took Teddy’s bluesy soul-pop hit to a whole new level with his ballad rendition, leading Lionel Richie to clap his hands and comment “Hallelujah” right after his first line dissolved into a stellar resonance.
Ajii is no stranger to the stage. Ajii (aged 27) is the lead singer for the rock band, TMRW NVR PROMISED, who weave their grunge/punk influences with hints of hip hop and trap music. Ajii’s audition was aired around four months after the band announced their hiatus on Instagram, and one week after Ajii dropped his debut solo album, “Double Vision.”
Ajii’s band made small waves through New York’s underground music scene, backed by the unconditional support of his Pakistani-American parents. On his American Idol audition tape, Ajii revealed how his folks encouraged his freedom as a genre-crossing music artist, commenting: “My parents emigrated from Pakistan. They came out here with nothing. They’ve shown me to just chase whatever you want to do. For them, it was to make sure we had a great life.”
Their sacrifices hardly went to waste — Ajii’s bold voice radiated profoundly through his LA audition room, captivating judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan before earning a standing ovation from all three. Lionel told the frontman, “You had me on your opening note,” followed by a fatherly shower of praise as Ajii fought back his tears. Katy Perry even said with fiery confidence, “What you’ve given us is raw, but it’s that diamond in the rough stuff. This is why we do this show; it’s people like you.”
Ajii’s performance of “Lose Control” has garnered over 1.6 million YouTube views in only one month. At least one of these came from the track’s original singer, Teddy Swims, who left a top comment in Ajii’s support saying, “LET’S GO AJII!!! I’m so honored!!”
Ajii is a fan favorite to win the current season of American Idol, empowered by a God-given gift to sing across a lush array of genres while claiming each one for his own. His potential is huge and his audition feels like witnessing a star being born. Don’t miss the video above!
Check out the incredibly talented artist, Ajii, on his Instagram where you can keep up to date with his latest news and releases. Experience his unique blend of soul, punk, and hip-hop and discover why he left such an impression on the American Idol judges.