With a powerful voice and bright stage presence, Myra Tran had potential to realize her American Idol dream and do Vietnam proud. Alas, that dream was cut short even before the finalists were announced.
A few weeks ago, Myra Tran wowed the judges of American Idol and listeners all over the world with her rendition of Jennifer Hudson’s Dreamgirls soul ballad ‘One Night Only.’ The clip of her performance receives an outpouring of praise both on Facebook and YouTube, especially from Vietnamese fans who lauded her for the decision to sign up for the show.
As the show went on, Tran also successfully advanced past the group stage with a cover of ‘Chandelier’ by Sia and ‘Stronger’ by Kelly Clarkson alongside three other Idol hopefuls. On Sunday (local time) at the Disney Aulani Resort in Hawaii, Myra Tran and other contestants in the top 40 performed live in front of an audience individually, vying for a spot in the top 20 finalists.
For her live solo, she chose ‘How Far I’ll Go’ from the Disney animated feature Moana. This is not the first time she has performed the soundtrack; in 2016 when the movie came out, Tran was picked to sing a Vietnamese version in the studio. Off the heels of her win at X Factor Vietnam, her effort earned compliments from netizens for her mellow tone and emotionally charged delivery.
Nevertheless, the same can’t be said about her most recent American Idol version of the song, which was high in energy but couldn’t impress the judges. Katy Perry, one of the judges, thought it was “all over” and Lionel Richie told Myra Tran that it didn't measure up to the level that her competitors brought to the table that day, dashing her hopes of advancing to the top 20.
“Sending the sincerest apology to those who have loved me and seen me as their pride,” Tran wrote on her personal Facebook page in Vietnamese after the show aired. “One door has closed, but I always seek to open another to serve my audience.”
Myra Tran was born Tran Minh Nhu in 1999 in Long Xuyen, An Giang Province. She rose to fame in Vietnam after clinching the top prize of X Factor Vietnam 2016 but has mostly stayed out of the limelight until she auditioned for the latest season of American Idol.
Watch Myra Tran’s last performance at American Idol below and her version of ‘How Far I’ll Go’ in 2016 here.
Video via YouTube channel American Idol.
