Kenedi Anderson: Musical Journey From Viral Audition to Future Pop Icon

On: April 10, 2025 3:52 AM

Kenedi Anderson is an American singer and songwriter born on March 4, 2004, in Crozet, Virginia. She gained fame on American Idol Season 20 in 2022, earning a Platinum Ticket for her stunning audition of Lady Gaga’s “Applause” before withdrawing for personal reasons. The daughter of football coach Justin Anderson and Anne Anderson, she grew up with five siblings in a family that moved often due to her father’s career. Now 21, she continues her musical journey while recently embarking on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawaii.

Kenedi Anderson: The Voice That Stole Hearts and Keeps on Shining

Hey there, music lovers! Today, we’re diving into the story of Kenedi Anderson—
a name that lit up American Idol and still has us buzzing in April 2025. You might remember her as the
17-year-old from Crozet, Virginia, who wowed everyone with her soulful vibes and snagged a rare Platinum Ticket in Season 20.
She’s got talent, heart, and a journey that’s all her own.
So, let’s catch up with Kenedi and see why she’s still someone to watch!

The Idol Moment That Started It All

Picture this: it’s early 2022, and a teenage Kenedi steps onto the American Idol stage.
She belts out Lady Gaga’s “Applause” with a piano, and the judges—Katy Perry,
Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan—lose it. Luke calls her “the biggest star we’ve ever seen,”
Katy says she’s “born to be a star,” and boom—she’s handed one of only three Platinum Tickets,
letting her skip a Hollywood Week round. Her duet of “Lean on Me” with Jordan Chase and her Showstopper
“Talking to the Moon” by Bruno Mars got her to the Top 24. Then, after a stunning “Human”
by Christina Perri in Hawaii, host Ryan Seacrest drops the news: Kenedi’s stepping away for “personal reasons.” Cue the collective “Wait, what?!”

She later shared on Instagram, “This has been one of the hardest decisions
I’ve ever had to make, but I know it’s necessary.” Fans were bummed, but Kenedi’s
grace and gratitude—for the judges, contestants, and supporters—shone through.
Why’d she leave? She’s kept it vague, but life’s messy at 17, right? Whatever it was, she’s been thriving since.

Where She’s At Now

Fast forward to 2025—Kenedi’s 21 and chasing new dreams.
Last June, she announced she’s serving an 18-month mission for
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Honolulu, Hawaii, starting July 15, 2024.
“It’s the least I can do after all God has blessed me with,” she wrote on Instagram,
rocking a white shirt and jeans with a Book of Mormon in hand. In a TikTok, she screamed with joy
opening her mission letter alongside family—pure happiness! She’s not quitting music, though—she’s promised to keep creating.

Before that, Kenedi graduated from Western Albemarle High School in 2022,
celebrated prom in a gorgeous halter dress, and teased new songs. She’s been writing
“some of my favorite songs ever,” she told Our Era magazine after a Utah concert with Idol pals
Emyrson Flora and Paige Fish. Her Spotify’s got 89K monthly listeners, and her YouTube

(23K subscribers) and TikTok (222K followers) are packed with covers like

Ariana Grande’s “POV” that show off her pipes.