A Lake Worth Beach-based musician has earned a Golden Ticket to advance to American Idol’s next round after a popular TikTok series propelled him to the world stage.
Bryant Thomas, originally from Mobile, Alabama, secured his spot after singing Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” catching the ears of judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood. All three gave him a “yes,” placing him among the top 30 contestants moving forward.
The audition episode aired during the Season 24 premiere on Jan. 26 and marked another surprise in Thomas’ recent rise. He had finally revealed himself to the public after his now-fiancée, Alyona — a Lake Worth Beach native— launched a popular TikTok series that hid his identity while he sang in the shower.
That online attention followed years of performing at local West Palm Beach spots, such as O'Shea's Irish Pub and E.R. Bradley's Saloon.
The southern rock musician told WLRN that the exposure from social media played a key role in landing a successful American Idol audition. Now, he’s preparing for the next round in Nashville.
“We've been practicing and I'm hoping that I can convince the judges that I'm ready to be on the stage and to step outta the shower and really be a presence in the music world,” Thomas told WLRN.
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The stakes will rise during the newly branded “Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover,” which moves the iconic round from California to Nashville, Tennessee. The show airs Mondays at 8 p.m. and will conclude in mid-May.
The other surprising element to Thomas’ story in that episode involved an engagement ring. He proposed to his now-fiance after receiving the show's approval, a moment he described as its own “nervous” journey.
“ I had to get the ring through the metal detectors,” he told WLRN. “That distracted me from the words I was supposed to say whenever I got down on one knee. I just spoke from my heart.”
Throughout the journey, Thomas said he and his fiancée have worked as a team, managing a growing fan support while navigating complicated business realities of internet virality and live performance.
“Fans on TikTok don't relate to butts in seats. You know, it's not a direct correlation,” Thomas said.
“So there's a different fan group that's gonna come out and see you live in a bar than is gonna support you on Spotify and Apple Music.”
He hopes his American Idol appearances can help “bridge that gap.”
