Whatever Happened to 'American Idol' Dropout Kenedi Anderson? Here's an Update on What She's Doing Today

American Idol celebrated its 20^th season in 2022 by instituting a Platinum Ticket that gave its holder special privileges when they arrived in Hollywood. Kenedi Anderson, a then-17-year-old singer from Cruzet, Virginia, was one of the three Platinum Ticket holders for the season—and she seemed destined to go all the way.

But then, mysteriously, following her Top 24 performance on Monday, April 11, 2022, of Christina Perri’s “Human” at the Aulani Disney Resort, host Ryan Seacrest told viewers: “You will notice there was no voting information during Kenedi’s performance just now. Since we taped these shows in Hawaii earlier, Kenedi has chosen to withdraw from our show for personal reasons. We send her well wishes.”

To this day, Kenedi’s reason for dropping out has never been revealed. At that time, she cited “personal reasons” for leaving the competition and has let it go at that. [Her complete message is at the end of this story.] There was speculation that she had been signed to a record label and, therefore, no longer needed to compete on American Idol, but nothing ever came of that rumor.

Related: The Real Reason Kenedi Anderson Quit American Idol

But now, Kenedi, who has since graduated high school and this June moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music career, is sharing new music on her Instagram account. “No more cover girl,” she wrote, meaning this is an original song.

Give it a listen:

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Two weeks ago, she teased it was coming, writing: "It’s finally almost time for me to share my life with you through music. I’ve waited for this my whole life 💗💗 Kenicats UNITE"

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For her American Idol audition, Kenedi had wowed judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan with her performance of Lady Gaga’s “Applause.” Luke said she “might be the biggest star we’ve ever seen,” and Katy added, “She was born to be a star.” And as we said earlier, the judges awarded her one of only three Platinum Tickets given out during the audition process that season.

Related: Kenedi Anderson’s Performance of Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause’ Is the Answer to the Judges’ Prayers

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As promised, here's Kenedi's complete message that was posted on Instagram following her departure: “For personal reasons, I’m unable to continue on American Idol. This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but I know it’s necessary. I'm so grateful to American Idol, the judges, the producers, the amazing contestants, and all the fans who have supported me. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to share my voice, chase my dreams, feel so much joy and happiness doing what I love, and make lifelong friends along the way."

Next, Who Is American Idol Platinum Ticket Holder Kenedi Anderson's Famous Father?