In April, Grace Kinstler opened an “American Idol” episode with Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy.” Few would dispute Kinstler’s ability to sing the song, but “American Idol” judge Katy Perry wanted the contestant to go even further.

“Who are you as an artist?” Perry asked after the performance, also saying she was “just thinking about what kind of record you’re gonna do after ‘American Idol’.”

Almost a year later, Kinstler is ready to show her fans exactly who she is.

Earlier this week, the singer shared a video of the clip of Perry pushing her and ending it with a clip of her new demo.

“Every time I turn an empty page, paint your colors where the picture is gray,” she said. sung. “Life is better when it’s done your way.”

Kinstler placed third in the 19th season of “American Idol” behind Willie Spence and winner Chayce Beckham.

Originally from Chicago, the singer moved to Massachusetts to attend Berklee College of Music. After the season ended, Kinstler moved to Los Angeles to begin her music career.

Kinstler said she chose to sing the “Happy” chant because it was the one she and her dad loved, she told MassLive. He died suddenly in February 2020.

“I wish he was here so I could call him and tell him what’s going on,” she said in an interview with “American Idol” earlier this season. “I really miss my dad.”

But the song was also about “being happy and having fun”.

“My goal for this week’s performance is really to let go and have a good time on stage,” she said at the time. “I have a habit of overthinking and I think that’s where I go wrong is when I overthink.”

• Related Content: Stream “American Idol” Live On fuboTV Where Hulu TV Live.

Although she does not have a specific date, the singer plans to release an EP or an album soon.

“The point of this project is really to encapsulate how far we’ve come since my dad passed away,” she said. “It was the biggest event of my life and for it to happen, and then the next year, ‘Idol’ happens, and then I can move to Los Angeles. Just to show how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learned over the past two years.

One of his biggest takeaways — don’t worry about the little things, including this week’s song choice on “American Idol.”

“I see a lot of people in my life who are older, some younger, but are always so worried about the little things and they forget about the big picture,” she told MassLive. “We forget the big picture, what really matters. And so, for me, the whole point of this is just to share my experience and hopefully help someone else realize, “Oh, that stuff doesn’t matter.” Am I really doing this for me? Am I doing it for someone else or other people or people who I think are judging me but really aren’t? »

More clues and information about her next album are on her social media accounts. The 20th season of “American Idol” premieres Sunday.

Related content: