Is she the next Carrie Underwood, Gabby Barrett or is she carving out a unique niche of her own on season 19 of American Idol? It's way too early to make those kinds of bold predictions, but one thing we do know is that 16-year-old Laila Mach from New Paltz is well on her way to pursuing her dream of being a professional recording artist.  Tonight, her journey continues and you can watch and judge for yourself.

A few weeks ago during the audition round, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie were very impressed with Laila's own rendition of "I Hope" by Gabby Barrett.  Her "twisted and darker version" threw the judges for a loop but they loved it.

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"You're exactly what it takes to be in this competition and go far," Katy Perry told the beaming teenager.  While Luke Bryan added, "Very impressive!" 

Tonight at 8 PM on American Idol, Laila Mach, the high school student from New Paltz who turned just 16-years-old this week, gets another crack to wow the judges and advance to the next round when she takes the Idol stage.

The show is weeding out the lesser contestants, and roughly half of the final 24 was whittled down last night.   If the judges pass her through to next week's shows, she'll advance to the "solo performances" and "celebrity duets" portion of Idol.

During next week's shows, the remaining contestants will have the chance to perform with the likes of Jimmie Allen or Jason Aldean, both of whom are rumored to be a part of the celebrity duet round.

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