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Melinda Ademi will be among the final 10 female semi-finalists to perform in front of a live Las Vegas audience as part of the sudden-death round. There, five contestants will be sent home while five will advance to the top 20.
The 19-year-old Yonkers songstress was one of 20 females and 20 males to advance to the top 40 round earlier this month when she lit up the stage with a pair of performances.
First, in a group performance, Ademi and three fellow contestants sang Blu Cantrell's "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops)." Then, in a solo performance, she wowed judges with her rendition of Jessie J’s “Price Tag.” She earned high praise from Keith Urban who called her performance "effortless" and "energetic."
This is not the first time Ademi, the daughter of war refugees from Kosovo, has been on the national stage. In 2011, during the 10th season of American Idol, she also made it to Las Vegas before being sent home by the judges.
Ademi said in an interview with American Idol she was ecstatic to have again made it this far in the competition. She told the FOX show she thinks she has what it takes to be crowned the American Idol.
"I believe I am the next American Idol because I work hard," she said. "I believe that I have fairly good stage presence, and I just want to do great things. And I feel like this competition will give me that opportunity."
In the semifinal rounds, which kicked off last week, contestants have by split by gender, with 10 females performing Wednesdays and 10 males Thursdays.
American Idol will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday on FOX.
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