Alejandro Aranda Was a Known Name in California Before Auditioning for 'American Idol'
"You, my friend, are so talented. I'm so inspired," American Idol judge Lionel Richie declared after hearing contestant Alejandro Aranda sing for the first time in the audition round of season 2. "This guy is unfrickin' believable."
"I just feel like I'm in the presence of greatness," Luke Bryan added. "I've just never seen anything like that." Katy Perry echoed her fellow judges and said she thought he was "the winner" this year.
Katy was almost right. After many rounds of competition, Alejandro ended up placing second behind Laine Hardy on the season finale. After learning about his past, we're not surprised that he got so far in the competition.
In Alejandro's first audition, the Idol hopeful shared that he grew up in Pomona, California, and was homeschooled. The 24-year-old artist and dishwasher also said that he didn't pick up music until "later on in his life" (specifically, he started when he was 20) and taught himself how to sing. Belting out tunes in the street and playing his guitar eventually helped Alejandro get over his fear of stage fright.
And not only did he get over it, he conquered it. The singer, who went by the stage name "Scary Pool Party" before coming on the show, was selected as the Artist of the Year in 2017 by Five of Five Entertainment and California State University at Northridge, according to California Rocker. The outlet also reports that Alejandro has been a "well-loved fixture on the southern California music scene" for a few years now.
In fact, he's so "well-loved," that Alejandro even has a few hits of his own available on Spotify — "Out Loud," "10 Years," and "Fading Away." Thousands of Spotify users listen to his music every month (most of his followers, not surprisingly, are based in southern California).
Why the name Scary Pool Party? According to The Sundial, Alejandro landed on the stage name after attending, well, a party. And once he saw a band called Backtrack, he knew that singing and performing was for him. Now, as an artist, he draws inspiration from John Martyn, Nine-Inch Nails, and Dead Can Dance.
Moral of the story: Alejandro was a true talent even before he stepped on the American Idol stage. Even though he didn't win season 2, he immediately became successful. Just two days after the finale, the artist announced his nationwide tour.
We can't wait to see where his talent takes him next.
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