BALTIMORE (WMAR) — An American Idol contestant from Baltimore was featured on Sunday night’s episode with the last batch of auditions.
23-year-old Katyrah Love traveled to Austin, Texas for the audition, but she almost didn’t try out at all.
“My cousin sent it to me and she said ‘You’re born to do this. Do it’. I’m like ‘Alright. What’s the worst that can happen?’” said Love. “I feel like I put my heart and soul into the audition and I feel like it’s leading to something great.”
One of her goals with trying out for American Idol was to put Baltimore in a positive light for the nation.
“I know we get a bad rep sometimes, but there’s hope. There’s light. There’s love. There’s art here in Baltimore,” said Love.
She shared one audition secret: the other contestants were surprisingly helpful.
“You’re expecting people to be cut throat… but nobody was like that. It was just love and kindness and a lot of support and encouragement,” said Love.
She’s no stranger to performances. She won amateur night at the Apollo Theater in New York and was one of the top 10 artists to make the finals of the Super Top Dog competition in 2019.
Her real name is Katyrah Davenport, and she attended Catonsville High school.
Now she works as a case manager in the city. After seeing the mental health struggles of so many, she uses her music to empower people with positivity.
“I knew that there was a need to encourage empower and push for hope,” said Love. “Music and art can be a big push for getting help with mental health.”
Love is not only a singer, but she's a percussionist and a poet. She also auditioned for The Voice in February of 2020.
