SUTTON – It’s Chloe Belsito’s turn to represent Worcester County on a hit television singing competition series.
In the coming weeks, Belsito, 17, of Sutton, will appear on season 19 of ABC’s American Idol.
The Sutton High senior auditioned in San Diego this past October and had to keep her audition and upcoming appearance on American Idol under wraps.
“It was extremely difficult because it’s such a big accomplishment and such a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was dying to tell people. I’m very humble and I don’t like to talk about my accomplishments,” Belsito said in an interview with ThisWeekinWorcester.com on Wednesday, Feb. 3. “I think it was more difficult for my parents because they were so proud of me. It was really exciting once I could tell my friends. And they were so proud of me.”
The highlight of the trip? Not only did Belsito get to audition in front of music superstars Katy Perry, Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryant, she also got to meet people just like her — pursuing their dreams in music.
Belsito said. “I met so many cool people. To go there, and to meet so many people just like me from all over the country was such a surreal experience.”
“One thing that was amazing about going there was they were so safe about COVID-19. [American Idol] took so many precautions that made me so feel comfortable and I know made a lot of people feel comfortable. They were so organized and it was such a great experience. It was a long day, but it was so worth it,” she added.
A singer-songwriter, Belsito has been performing vocally and writing songs for several years now. She’s performed recently at The UXLocale , Lock 50, Reunion Tap & Table, a handful of local breweries and at community events.
Belsito has been nominated twice for Pulse Magazine’s “Best Female Vocalist” at the Worcester Music Awards and was the winner of the 2018 “New Voices” award on WCCA TV. She has performed the National Anthem for Holy Cross athletic events and throughout her time at Sutton High.
She told TWIW that auditioning for American Idol was an “aha moment” of sorts as far as what she wanted her future to look like, adding that lack of performing live due to the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on her confidence as a musician and performer.
“Going on American Idol was my big moment — where I said ‘Ok I want to pursue music, I want to go college for music, and I want to take this moment and do something with it,” Belsito said. “I’m definitely going to start recording more music, releasing it more and getting it out there any way I can.”
She added, “I think [auditioning for American Idol] will help get my name out there and even things like doing this interview can work magic and can take you where you want to go. I think right now I’m just focused on getting my degree and graduating. I think it will open more doors and more opportunities but I will just have to wait and see.”
In the fall, Belsito has plans to attend the Berklee School of Music. When asked if she had considered what such an opportunity could mean to spark a music career at such a young age, Belsito said, “I haven’t put too much thought into it because it still doesn’t seem real. I still haven’t gotten over the fact that I’m leaving for college in the fall. Just like the experience with American Idol, it still doesn’t feel real to me. I’ve tried to put a lot of thought into it, but I’m more focusing on living in the moment.”
The season premier of American Idol is on Sunday, February 14 at 8 PM, followed by the second round of auditions on Sunday, Feb. 21. At this time, it’s unclear when Belsito’s audition will air but stay tuned for more information as Feb. 14 approaches.
Belsito is performing next live during the finals of Lockdown Showdown on Thursday, February 25 — a live streaming contest co-hosted by Reunion Tap & Table, The Mill at 185 and Rascals, featuring 32 local musicians competing over five weeks for a winner-take-all $500 grand prize.
The final will be broadcast on all three venues’ Facebook pages and you can also view on the big screens at Reunion Tap & Table and Mill at 185 with the audio playing on their in-house sound systems.
