17-year-old aspiring preacher Canaan James Hill shared his incredible gift on American Idol in 2025 in an audition that turned listeners into believers. The young gospel talent sang Earnest Pugh’s “I Need Your Glory,” and the power of his voice must be heard to be believed. Hill not only has incredible conviction in his words, but he has vocal chops for days. He impressed with a soulful low register opening that showed off his dynamic control, before leaning into a creamy high end and soaring to a triumphant chorus.
The way Hill built into that chorus and filled up the room with the power of his voice is just jaw-dropping. The vocal runs that he hits from 2:05 onward are simply incredible, and I guarantee they’ll run goosebumps down your body. The judges were completely in the palm of Hill’s hand throughout, and it probably won’t surprise The Music Man readers to hear that he went home with the platinum ticket.
American Idol uploaded Hill’s audition on March 31, 2025, and in the two weeks since then, it has hit 1.2 million views. It was clear that Hill made a big impression on fans watching at home, who added comments such as “As a non-believer for most of my life, I do believe now and God has blessed us all with one of his angels” and “This young man was destined to touch and change many lives with his voice, bringing them all to Jesus.”
Hill returned to American Idol the following week in Hollywood to perform Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It.” Watching Hill’s second performance made it clear that his audition wasn’t just a one-off, as he quickly got both the audience and the judges on their feet. Lionel Richie subsequently raved to his fellow judges, “That was the greatest performance I have ever seen.”
The Music Man has to say that Hill is clearly something really special. Listeners at home know it too, as several commenters noted that he’s destined for bigger things than American Idol. Beyond his incredible talent, Hill deserves praise for his approach of singing somewhat lesser-known gospel tunes, rather than the usual chart-toppers. It must be tempting to sing songs that everyone knows, but by instead singing songs that showcase his passion, Hill has created some truly remarkable performances. At just 17 years old, it’s safe to say that we’ll be hearing some great things from Hill moving forward.