Shocking ‘American Idol’ Twist Gives Upstate New Yorker Chance at Victory

History has been made on Season 21 of American Idol, and we all can thank an Upstate New York resident for causing it.

Normally, 24 singers will move on to the next round of the show, all of whom have the ultimate goal of becoming the next American Idol, joining the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and more.

A singer from Upstate had such an impressive performance, however, that the show was forced to alter its rules so America could see more of them.

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Upstate NY's Matt Wilson Included in Shocking 'American Idol' Twist

A story from New York Upstate shared an update from Season 21 of the hit reality competition show, American Idol, which recently introduced a major rule change because of the large amount of talent on-display this season.

The rule change was made to allow two extra singers, including Buffalo resident, Matt Wilson, to advance to the next round.

Have you ever heard Wilson sing? Take a listen in the clip below:

Traditionally, at this stage of the competition, the field of thousands will have been narrowed down to a "Top 24" group of singers. All of these talented artists move on to the "semi-final" round, where the field continues to shrink, before a winner is ultimately crowned.

Earlier this week, the show's judges announced that the show would be naming a "Top 26" instead, a move which allowed Wilson to advance to the next round of competition.

The 21-year-old Wilson is a teacher’s aide who works for the daycare at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, according to NY Upstate. He auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee at the Kimpton Aertson Hotel during a period from November 10–13, 2022. He was unanimously passed along to the next round by the judges.

Thus far, Wilson has sang these songs on the show, according to the American Idol Wiki:

• "Can You Stand the Rain" by New Edition
• "You Are the Reason" by Calum Scott (duet with Elise Kristine)
• "Forever" by Chris Brown (Showstopper)

Check out his rendition of Forever here:

After the round that featured his performance of Forever, the judges asked Wilson, Iam Tongi and Colin Stough to come up at the same time, according to the Wiki. At that point, they announced that the show would be bending the traditional rules, and that all three contestants would be moving on to the next round.

The 26th and final member of that group will be announced on Sunday's episode, per New York Upstate.

From this point, Wilson and his fellow competitors are off to Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii. The "Top 26" round of competition will be televised on Sunday and Monday, with both airing at 8PM.

The Top 20, and subsequent Top 12, reveals will take place in individual episodes during the following weekend, and we're all hoping that Matt Wilson continues to sing his way to the top!