When Sophie Powers—an already-established Canadian singer-songwriter and fashion designer—stepped onto the American Idol stage in February 2025, nobody knew quite what to expect. With half a million TikTok followers cheering her on and a record deal with Atlantic Records already in hand, Powers wasn’t looking for a traditional Idol coronation. Instead, she delivered one of the most talked‑about auditions in the show’s history.

A “Hyper‑Punk” Gamble Pays Off

Donned in a custom leather jacket of her own design and sporting her signature Band‑Aid on her nose, Powers leaned into her reputation as an “alt‑pop” provocateur. Rather than belt out a soaring ballad, she launched into “STFU”—an original, profanity‑laced spoken‑word piece that playfully shouted down everything from “Karens” and “vegans” to “laundry…and dinosaurs.”

The judges’ reactions were instantaneous: Luke Bryan nearly doubled over laughing, Lionel Richie’s eyebrow arched in amused confusion, and Carrie Underwood fought to maintain her composure. Crewmembers in the wings were heard chuckling as Powers deadpanned her way through the comedic tirade. Within hours, the audition clip had gone viral, generating millions of views and spawning countless remixes, reaction videos, and memes across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.

More Than Just a Stunt

Despite the uproarious response, Powers’ act didn’t quite fit the American Idol mold. In a candid backstage chat, Carrie Underwood praised Powers’ originality—“You’re fascinating, Sophie—but I’m not sure where you’d fit in our pop‑contest framework”—while Powers herself quipped, “Well, I’m literally Canadian, so maybe that’s the point!”

Far from being a misstep, skipping Hollywood Week turned into a strategic boon. Powers described her Idol stint as a “random side quest” orchestrated by producers who knew her edgy catalog and wanted a viral moment. The gambit worked: streams of her EP Red in Revenge soared by 250 percent overnight, and her social‑media following ballooned with new fans eager for more.

What’s Next for Sophie Powers?

Riding the wave of her Idol fame, Powers is teasing a full‑length debut album, Punk Couture, slated for release this fall. She’s also collaborating on a limited‑edition streetwear capsule line that blends her punk‑rock ethos with high‑fashion sensibilities. Known for fusing pop, punk, hip‑hop, and rock into what she dubs “genuine emotional anthems,” Powers seems intent on rewriting the rules—onstage and in the closet.

Her American Idol audition may not have earned her a golden ticket, but it cemented her status as a boundary‑pushing artist unafraid to disrupt the status quo. For Sophie Powers, making it big isn’t about following the script—it’s about throwing it out entirely.