American Idol seasons 21 and 22 contestant Jayna Elise made it to the Top 12 of season 22, and she’s been very busy with her music career ever since. Jayna first appeared on American Idol season 21, during which she was not only known for her incredible vocals, but her immense kindness. When Adin Boyer, who has autism, didn’t have a group, she and her duet partner, Summer Joy, welcomed him with open arms. Jayna also became Fire’s impromptu duet partner when Kaya Stewart left her without a partner when she abruptly withdrew from the competition due to illness.
Although she didn’t make it past the Final Judgment of Hollywood Week in American Idol season 21, Jayna returned for season 22, during which she made it to the Top 12. She impressed everyone with her phenomenal renditions of “Confident” by Demi Lovato, “My All” by Mariah Carey, “All I Wanted” by Paramore, “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston, and “Diamonds” by Rihanna. Since American Idol season 22 ended, Jayna has been working hard to further her music career. Here’s what she’s been up to.
In September 2024, a few months after the May 2024 American Idol season 22 finale, Jayna took on the lead role of the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner, in the second national tour of Tina -The Tina Turner Musical. The tour began on September 24, 2024, in Akron, Ohio, and will play in over 60 cities. In an Instagram post, BroadwayWorld shared an exclusive first look at Jayna in the role, including video clips from the production. It also features Jayna singing Tina’s classic song, “Proud Mary,” and performing Tina’s iconic dance moves.
In an Instagram post of her own, Jayna reflected on playing the lead role in Tina – The Tina Turner Musical after the show’s opening night performance. She wrote, “Wow. My national tour debut. The first time I’ve ever done a full musical of this caliber. And the first time my dad has ever seen me perform. He drove 8 hours just to watch my opening show of Tina!” Jayna went on to say that she was grateful to God, her family, the “amazing” cast and crew, the creative team, and her fans.
Jayna concluded by saying, “Lastly— I’m grateful to myself. And I’m learning to be more grateful to myself. For always pushing past the things that have ever held me back, leading up to this moment. Wow. We made it. And we’re only going up from here!“
Since American Idol season 22 ended, Jayna has released songs on Spotify, including the original songs, “Forgive” (a duet with Andreas Moss), “Sooner Than Right Now,” “Lionheart,” and “More,” all which Jayna co-wrote. In addition, she released a cover of Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You.” On YouTube, Jayna released her “I’m With You” cover, along with covers of other songs, including SWV’s “Rain” and En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go.”
During both of her American Idol seasons, Jayna showcased her mesmerizing vocals and star quality. She’s a beautiful person both inside and out, with a very kind heart. Jayna deserves the world, and she has the potential to become one of the biggest stars in the American Idol galaxy.
American Idol winner Noah Thompson plans to have a very busy 2025 as he gets set to release more music and hit the road again to perform for his fans, according to his new cryptic Instagram Story. He wowed the judges and audience while competing in American Idol season 20 and performing such songs as Rihanna’s “Stay” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” While Noah ended up winning American Idol, his post-show career has had both highs and lows. He got signed to 19 Recordings, the Idol-affiliated record company, and released an EP. Unfortunately, Noah was eventually dropped by the record label.
American Idol‘s Noah Thompson shared a career update with his fans, teasing possible new music and concerts in 2025.
Noah took to Instagram to share a career update with his fans. He started off the video by thanking everyone who has “stuck by me” after his American Idol win. He then teased what’s on the horizon for him in 2025. “More stuff coming, more songs coming,” he cryptically said. Noah continued on to say that he hopes he and his band can “get some shows near you” next year. Before a final thank you to his fans, he admitted he’s “just trying to stay busy.”
