Words by ELIZABETH FORREST Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
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MADDIE POPPEWords by ELIZABETH FORREST Photos by CATHERINE POWELL 06 Maddie Poppe, winner of show with her family and admired on the show, ‘how many people Season 16 of American Idol, the track record for its winners and are really watching?’” she explains. remembers exactly what she was contestants. That might intimi- It was hard for her to picture the thinking when Ryan Seacrest date some, but when it came to millions behind the screen. “But called her name during the season auditions, Maddie wasn’t afraid. “I after the show when we met people finale. “I had a flashback of every- didn’t think I had anything to lose. and looked out into the crowd, you thing that happened on the show,” I had been told ‘no’ so many times saw little girls with ponytails and she says. “I went from my audition, that I wasn’t really scared anymore. overalls. They were so excited to to the Hollywood week, to Top 50, I decided to just go for it,” she says. meet me and it’s crazy because I to Top 24. I kind of reflected on Being separated from her family still feel like I’m still such a regular, all the moments I never thought during the show was difficult. normal person,” Maddie laughs. I could do it, and it was unbeliev- Time with them was limited and Not only did Maddie win the able.” Music had always been a she was exposed to an entirely hearts of young girls; Katy Perry part of Maddie’s life, but she was new lifestyle far from her Midwest and Idina Menzel are fans of the no stranger to the word “no” going hometown. She credits the rest 20-year-old, too. The enormity of into the show. of the cast with making the show that fact still hasn’t sunk in. “It’s Maddie’s musical journey began such a great experience. “I don’t definitely cool to have her in my at 5- years-old when her father think I would have been able to do corner because she’s such a pop recorded the family singing Christ- it without them,” Maddie admits. star and one of the biggest names mas songs to send on CDs to their “All of us were experiencing this in music,” Maddie says of Katy Per- relatives. From there, music was for the first time together, so we ry. “I’m not playing the music that’s a constant throughout her child- could all relate and we were all main stream and I’m not playing hood. Her dad was in a band and going through the same journey.” the music she’s playing, so for her would sometimes allow her on- Even after the show has ended, to be in my corner and support me stage to sing with him. She sang a Maddie considers some of the is really awesome.” duet with her sister at the school people she met on the show her Before Maddie had the support variety show at 14, and then never best friends. of the American Idol judges, she looked back. Maddie’s favorite performance had the support of her father. In Auditioning for American Idol from American Idol was “Rainbow 2016, Maddie and her father, the was when Maddie’s musical career Connection”. She remembers it supervisor of an electric company, truly began to flourish. She went fondly not just because she was recorded an album called Songs from playing gigs in Iowa during privileged enough to sing with from the Basement together. That the summer and dealing with Kermit the Frog, but also because it experience helped Maddie prepare rejection to singing in front of Katy was her performance on the night for professional song recording. “I Perry, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie that the winner was announced. “If feel like I have a leg up because my and millions of viewers weekly. At I messed up the words or forgot a dad definitely knew what he was 20, the change was something that line or wasn’t perfect, it wouldn’t doing,” Maddie says. “Now, it’s not took some getting used to. When matter because all of the votes much different except for there’s a asked how she stays grounded, were in. I could really relax in that lot more people involved.” Maddie says, “I think about where moment,” she remembers. The first single Maddie released I was a year ago. This wasn’t some- After her win, Maddie was on post-Idol was “Going Going Gone”, thing that was just handed to me the American Idol Live! 2018 tour the coronation song she performed right away. This was something until mid-September. In addition the night she won the competition. I really had to work for and I’ve to being a fun time on the road In it, Maddie sings of the fear of worked for, for a long time.” with other contestants she consid- leaving home and the need to leave To Maddie, the decision to ers her “little family”, it confirmed to explore who she is. “The people audition for American Idol was an to her in a concrete way that she I met on the shoot and driving that easy one. She grew up watching the had fans. “You always wondered old Mercedes around was a lot of NKDMAG.COM 07 08 fun,” she recounts. The girls that were cast in the video became a few of her actual friends, and Mad- die remembers shooting the music video as some of the most fun and busy days she had after the show’s finale. Maddie is no newcomer when it comes to writing songs; Songs from the Basement was written on her own. When asked about her writing process, Maddie remains humble. “It’s really hard for me to pretend and imagine something,” she says. “I don’t think I have that great of an imagination, so I really have to write on things that have happened to me in the past.” And then when that doesn’t work, Maddie writes about what has hap- pened to others around her, often her friends. Maddie cites her biggest musical inspirations as Sara Bareilles, Bran- di Carlile and Rachael Yamagata. “They have great voices and do what they love. They do their style of music, and even though it’s not mainstream, they’re doing what they love and their fan bases are so loyal,” Maddie says. This fall, Maddie looks forward to starting up again with some writing ses- sions to begin working on her new album. She hasn’t had a chance to sit down and write since the tour began. Maddie has a new single com- ing out in mid-October, but keeps mum on the details. With so many of her dreams coming true so quickly, Maddie has had trouble believing what her life has become. Sometimes she fears things are too good to be true and will fall through like before, but she doesn’t let the fear get to her. “I just kind of goes where the tide takes me,” NKD NKDMAG.COM 09.