Who is Kayko? 'American Idol' Season 22 contestant dealt with his mother's death through music
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: 'American Idol' Season 22 contestant Samuel Kelly-Cohen, also known as Kayko, is based out of Nashville, Tennessee. He calls himself an "Alt-Pop Music Boy that makes Happy Songs out of Sad Words."
Kayko used to have his hair dyed blue. It was something that was a trademark when he worked with his You Best Friend's Favorite band. He later switched to working solo.
As he gave up the band, Kayko said, "It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because I put my blood, sweat & tears into my band project, but I knew in my heart that it had to come to an end."
"I feel like, as an artist, it’s our duty to create what feels authentic, and I got to a point where I knew I needed to change my sound and my branding to better represent where I am in my life," Kayko said, as per Idol Chatter.
Kayko's mother died in 2019 and music helped him overcome the grief. He used to "write songs about liberation from sadness" to help those who have experienced hardship.
He shared a video of his mother, saying, "Two years ago, my mom passed away. My grieving process is ongoing. But writing this song has helped heal me so much, and all I can hope is that if you’re missing someone that’s no longer in your life, this song can hopefully help you too."
'American Idol' Season 22 contestant Kayko's mental struggles
Last year in August, Kayko confessed to going through a hard time.
He wrote in one of his posts, "Been experiencing extreme cognitive dissonance lately. I get to wake up and make music every day and lately, that hasn’t been enough."
To avoid this, Kayko started creating what he believed would be the best songs. Despite working on making music, he said, "And yet some days I just wanna be a bum and veg out forever. I don’t have the solution but just felt like sharing."
With his music, Kayko tried to bring out his real self. "Trying to share “the real kayko” not only at the awesome moments but also the weird in-between states when the truth is unclear," he wrote.
Will Kayko get a golden ticket to 'American Idol' Season 22?
It is rumored that Kayko will manage to get a golden ticket to 'American Idol' Season 22 audition round. It was revealed on the Idol Spoilers that he will secure his place in the semi-finals.
ABC airs new episodes of 'American Idol' Season 22 every Sunday at 8 pm ET.