Now a high school student in the U.S., Tran Minh Nhu, who goes by Myra Tran, first charmed the judges by telling them it has been a dream of hers to appear on American Idol, and that she could not believe that it was actually happening.

A screenshot of Myra Tran's audition at American Idol last Sunday.

But it was her singing that just blew them away. The judges were shaking their heads in disbelief and amazement well before Myra Tran, 19, finished singing Jennifer Hudson's classic last Sunday.

The legendary Lionel Ritchie told the Vietnamese teen that she was in a zone of her own and that she should rule it.

Katy Perry, impressed that Myra Tran was still a high school student, said that her talent had the power to connect people.

"I can really feel who you are through the music," Katy Perry said, adding that the Vietnamese teen had just demonstrated that music transcends language.

The Vietnamese teen sensation got the gold ticket to proceed to the next round of the show.

Nhu said her passion for singing began in the 6th grade when she listened to American singer Whitney Houston. Since then, it has been her dream that she could one day sing like her idol.

Nhu is no stranger to Vietnamese audiences who have seen and heard her on local reality shows like the X Factor.

At 17, she won Season 2 of The X Factor Vietnam. Then she left to study in the U.S., her passion for singing still burning bright.

Her family was initially not supportive of Nhu pursuing singing as a career, according to the Bustle magazine. She had to keep her passion a secret till she won the talent show.

American Idol is a music talent show founded by Simon Fuller in the U.S. in 2002. The first 15 seasons of the show were aired on Fox channel from 2002 to 2016. The two recent seasons are aired on ABC channel. It is one of the most successful talent programs in American television history, discovering and promoting many hidden talents.

The careers of many famous singers today have been kicked off by the show, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert and Jordin Sparks. In fact, Luke Bryan, one of the judges, specifically mentioned Myra Tran has had the potential of becoming another Kelly Clarkson.

The program has been remade in many other countries, including Vietnam. In 2007, the first season of Vietnam Idol, a version of the U.S original program, was broadcast on television.

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Source: VnExpress