Pataskala teen's 'American Idol' run ends, says experience helped her grow

Cali Morris' run in "American Idol" ended Monday night in the head-to-head round that determined the show's top 24 contestants.

Morris, a Pataskala native, performed Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" in front of the judges alongside fellow contestant Olivier Bergeron, who advanced to the next round. Both made it past the Showstopper round on Sunday night, when Morris made her on-air debut in the competition .

"Thank you 'American Idol' for this opportunity," Morris wrote in a TikTok post .

Morris returned to the show this season after successfully auditioning years prior but having to exit after testing positive for COVID-19. She earned a golden ticket during this season's auditions and advanced past the Idol Arena round, though producers didn't air either performance.

Morris and Bergeron both auditioned in New York. They quickly became friends and chose to sing together in the head-to-head stage after learning they needed to pick a partner for that round.

"We were under the impression that it was just Idol Arena and Showstoppers, and then it's either you're (in the) Top 24 or you're cut," Morris said, adding the pair picked the song feeling it could best showcase their singing rasp. "We both thought it would have been cool if there was a duet round.

"Then, all of a sudden, they announced the duet round, and we immediately looked at each other and ran to each other. I thought that was kind of cool."

Morris has made several friends while on the show, keeping in contact with them about plans to meet and collaborate. She expects to release new music at some point with aspirations to release an album. 

Her discography includes "Pieces" and "Not Over U ," the former of which she released in 2022. She had nearly 150,000 followers and 3.7 million likes on her TikTok page, where she posts song covers and other performances, as of Tuesday.

"I may not have made it to the top 24, but I've grown in ways I never thought possible," Morris wrote in a Facebook post . "You literally haven't heard the last of me yet."

Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at  jhperez@newarkadvocate.com .

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: 'American Idol' run ends for Ohio singer Cali Morris