Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Julia Gargano made it to the Top 7 on American Idol.

The winner was Julia Gargano, who appeared on the show Thursday and performed her original “Growing Pains.”

The 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Staten Island, N.Y., called it “a full-circle moment,” noting it’s the same song she auditioned with, the one judges loved so much they unanimously voted to grant her a golden ticket.

Julia wound up making it all the way to the Top 7, the only female to do so other than winner Just Sam.

On Live, she talked mostly about the “curve ball” Season 18 contestants were thrown when the pandemic forced an end of filming in L.A. and contestants had to start recording performances at home.

She called that “spooky and scary” at first. The upside, she said, was the family was always nearby, joking that it’s easier to deal with the pressure of competing “when your mom is your cameraman.”

“Growing Pains,” by the way, is available on iTunes and streaming sites. Here’s the lyric video.

And Julia also just posted a cover of “Daisies,” the new Katy Perry single, on her YouTube channel.