The 12 Best Latino 'American Idol' Auditions Ever! (VIDEO)

Syesha Mercado, Season 7

It’s no easy feat giving an extraordinary performance of a popular Aretha Franklin song. But that’s exactly what Syesha Mercado did in Season 7. The then-20-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer, who was celebrating her father’s graduation from a rehab program, auditioned for the judges by singing the Queen of Soul’s feminist anthem “Think.” “You cannot deny the fact that this girl can sing,” declared Paula Abdul before the judges voted to send Mercado to Hollywood. She’d end up being the only female in the Top 3 that season and was ultimately voted off before fellow contestants David Archuleta and David Cook.