American Idol contestant Lindita Halimi didn’t only prepare her voice for the audition; she also worked hard on her physique.

The 26-year-old from Kosovo appeared on season 15 (the final season) after losing a whopping 150 pounds.

Her motivation to lose weight came from constant criticism growing up back home. While Lindita was commended for her vocal ability, she was often criticized for being overweight.

“As a teenager that does touch you emotionally a lot so it came to the point where I was like, ‘I can make a change for myself and I can do better for myself,’” she told the American Idol cameras.

Lindita, who is now a personal trainer, performed “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown and wowed the judges from the first note (much like the beloved country singer from The Voice). Keith Urban was heard uttering, “I did not expect that,” while Jennifer Lopez nodded in agreement. And, at the 1:45 mark, the judges were impressed by the way she could hold a note.

“You’re a powerful singer,” said judge Harry Connick Jr. “You went all the way and you had the ability to do it. And I can tell you something else: fans eat that stuff up. You hold a note more than five seconds, it’s deafening applause.”

Watch below and please SHARE if you are blown away by this inspirational singer!
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