by : James Kara Murat

21 years old

Hometown: Sarasota, FL

Musical Influences: Whitney Houston, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Zap Mama, Lauryn Hill and Aretha Franklin

"Be the change that you want to see in the world."

-From the American Idol website

She is one of the twenty-four hopefuls for the American Idol post and all she has to offer is a powerful voice that has consistently captured the attention of fans all over the country. From her auditions in Miami to the Hollywood Week where she got a spot among the top twenty-four hopefuls, Syesha Mercado is out to convince viewers that she has everything that it takes to become the seventh American Idol.

Mercado hails from Sarasota, Florida where she is a member of a local band performing in various community events. Before American Idol, she tried out for the short-lived The One: Making a Music Star that was shown over ABC. She also bagged the 2007 Florida Super Singer title that further motivated her to try out for bigger opportunities through the American Idol.

From being a simple band member, Mercado is more than ready to join the ranks of Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Jordin Sparks as she aspires to become the next American Idol. With her dazzling good looks and impressive voice, she is beginning to charm her way into the hearts of AI fans all over the country. She dreams of becoming a famous performer. Syesha has two goals in life - one is to have a strong music career and the other is to win a Grammy and an Oscar. The American Idol is just one of the many steps that she's willing to take.

To achieve her dream, Mercado has gone through the traditional training of becoming a singer. She attended a school for performing arts to acquire professional training and at the same time performing in various events through her band. The 21-year old discovered her passion for performing through her church choir. She started singing at the age of three when she would follow her mom around the house singing. At age four, she can already be seen performing in her local church choir. Aside from singing, Syesha enjoys dancing, acting and doing impersonations. Her favorite pop artists include Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys to name a few

Syesha Mercado has always been a positive thinker. She doesn't even want to think about losing the contest. Her father is one of the most important people in her life, the person who motivated her to do her best. For her audition in Miami, Syesha sang Aretha Franklin's "Think Freedom". From the first note, she was out to convince the three judges that she has everything that it takes to become the next American Idol. She didn't get much of a positive feedback from Simon but she did get a unanimous decision in the end anyway.

For her Hollywood Week performance, she chose another Aretha Franklin hit. Suffering from flu and nearly losing her voice nearly caused her to lose a spot in the Top 50 but during the Hollywood Week, she managed to give justice to the song "Chain of Fools" which propelled her to get to be one of the 24 hopefuls for the American Idol post. She worked hard and refused to take any chances, carrying around a notepad and a marker that she used to communicate with people.

According to Syesha Mercado herself, she still couldn't believe she was able to give her all on that song but she's more than willing to produce the same performance level in everything from that point on.