The April 3 episode of American Idol ended on a dramatic note as Kaya Stewart, the daughter of famous musician Dave Stewart, quit the competition moments before her performance. Her exit left her duet partner, second-chance singer Fire Wilmore, to sing with another contestant who volunteered to take Kaya’s spot. Here’s why Kaya Stewart left American Idol and what she’s been up to since then.
Who is Dave Stewart’s daughter, Kaya Stewart?
American Idol viewers first met Kaya when she auditioned alongside her father in Nashville. Dave Stewart is most known for being one-half of the British pop duo Eurythmics, singing with Annie Lennox on the hit song “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” Both Dave and Annie were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. In addition to Eurythmics, Dave has written songs with Stevie Nicks, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, and Tom Petty.
In her audition, Kaya said she grew up listening to her father play music. She had always known she wanted to pursue her own music career. She performed an original song called “This Tattoo,” written with her father, in front of judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan.
Lionel told Kaya that she “slayed” the performance and that he loved her tone. Meanwhile, Luke said she was “worthy” of going to Hollywood, and Katy said Kaya had the “sparkle stuff.”
Why did Kaya Stewart quit ‘American Idol’?
Kaya made it through the first round of Hollywood Week, in which contestants had to choose an area to work on — songwriting, confidence, or stage presence. However, her performance wasn’t televised. She appeared again during the Duets Challenge, where she paired up with Fire Wilmore to sing “Whaddaya Want From Me” by Adam Lambert.
Rehearsals for the performance started out well, as Fire said she and Kaya were “on the same page” about everything. They felt confident about memorizing the lyrics and getting the song right. However, halfway through the late night, Kaya became very sick. She struggled to remember the lyrics and felt like she wasn’t able to give enough effort.
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Fire and Kaya both stepped on stage in front of the judges. However, Kaya announced that she wouldn’t sing. This meant she would have to quit American Idol Season 21 altogether. Kaya broke down in tears, apologizing to Fire and the judges as she rushed off the stage.
Thankfully, Fire didn’t have to sing on her own. Another contestant who had already performed, Jayna Elise, volunteered to duet with her. Jayna harmonized with Fire but let her take the reins on the song, which impressed the judges. Fire was able to advance to the next round.
Kaya Stewart has already released music of her own
Kaya Stewart officially quit American Idol, but she’s still thriving in her career without the competition. In September 2022, she released an LP called If Things Go South under Bay Street Records.
“I wasn’t planning on making an album; I was actually thinking of taking a break for a little while,” she said of the LP on her website. “I called my dad, and he said, ‘Why don’t you just come to Nashville and write a couple of songs?’ By the time I left, we had If Things Go South. I was able to be myself in the studio. The album is the most honest thing I’ve ever done.”
More recently, Kaya teased new music on Twitter via a video of her playing the piano.
New episodes of American Idol Season 21 air on Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
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