“This is about to be your new favorite song,” American Idol wrote on Facebook this Sunday, April 15, when sharing the video of Iowan Maddie Poppe’s performance that night of the 1971 hit from Melanie, “Brand New Key.”
She performed as part of the Top 24, two groups of 12 contestants that are winnowed down by choosing seven from each to advance to the Top 14, the artists who compete live starting April 22.
On last night’s show, after a duet with Colbie Calliat on Calliat’s pop hit “Bubbly,” American Idol announced that Poppe was among the Top 14.
Poppe hails from Clarksville, Iowa, a small town (pop. 1,439 at the last census) near Waverly, north of Waterloo. She released her first album, Songs from the Basement, in 2016.
The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance announced last week that it is bringing Poppe to town for their popular Market After Dark. The Aug. 25 event will feature 10 of Soul as headliner.
