19-year-old American Idol hopeful Jesse Findling overcame his stutter to soar in the most popular audition of 2026 so far on Benson Boone’s breakup anthem “In the Stars.” Jesse stuttered in his intro interview, but it all disappeared when he sang. He soon had the judges absolutely spellbound with his touching rendition of the piano ballad. Fans said the Long Island college student is absolutely taking the crown this season, picking him to go all the way before the season even officially started.
There’s definitely something about Jesse’s voice. Carrie Underwood summed it up, saying, “Your voice is beautiful. You have a beautiful vibrato, a beautiful tone. You were in the song emotionally, which just took us right there with you.” Lionel Ritchie agreed, saying the only problem Jesse had moving forward was how he was going to navigate his career. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that Jesse came out ahead as an early fan favorite, with his audition hitting 3.8 million views.
So far in the 24th season of American Idol, there’s not another performance that managed to even surpass one million views, showing that Jesse made a big impact on fans. Jesse, of course, got the nod from all three judges, and a ticket to Hollywood Week. Viewers were loving Jesse’s voice and added comments such as “How nice of Idol to show us the winner before the season even starts” and “Beautiful! Benson Boone would be proud that Jesse auditioned with his song and delivered such an amazing performance.”
Jesse certainly hit the mark with his choice in covering Benson Boone’s early hit. “In the Stars” goes back to 2022 and was Boone’s third single release. Benson gave a heartfelt performance of the song when he dropped into Wish 107.5. This stripped-back arrangement, with only a lone pianist for accompaniment, is an excellent showcase for the moving power of Benson’s tenor.
Jesse Findling is a 19-year-old college student from Long Island, New York. The Music Man readers might be interested to learn that he was an undiscovered singer until his American Idol audition was broadcast on January 26, 2026. Jesse took to his Instagram @jessefindlingmusic to talk about his experience on the show, saying, “This has been a dream of mine since I was little and getting to sing in front of Lionel, Carrie and Luke felt surreal.” After it was broadcast, he left a message for fans, saying, “I am overwhelmed by the love and support I’ve received. Thank you for helping make my dreams come true.” Fans are now waiting to see what Jesse delivers in the Hollywood week.