American Idol is entertainment. And what’s more entertaining than a family story?

The comeback kid. The small-town success. The family tragedy story. These all have played out to the advantage of contestants during the 17 year history of American Idol.

With the most recent season comes a twist in the plot line however, and that’s due to Alejandro Aranda.

He was an incredibly talented contestant with a beautiful voice, great musicianship, and even original songs. He had the vocal strength of a man who’s injected Alpha Thunder Testo into his muscles.

The one thing he lacks: A story.

Aranda and the Hidden Family Background

From audition to his second-place finish, Aranda remained relatively quiet about his upbringing. His parents never made an appearance (even during the finale), and the only hint to his roots was in a hometown visit to his niece and nephew.

He mentions a rough upbringing, so perhaps there is a sordid background which he wishes to leave behind. Either way, he was successful in maintaining a low-profile while also becoming one of the most popular contestants in recent memory.

How Aranda’s Audition Captivated Families Across the Country

Alejandro Aranda entered the ‘Idol’ audition room with tampered expectations. He never thought stardom would come to him, and that can clearly show in his humble demeanor. Not once did he think he would be broadcast to millions of families across the country in one of the most anticipated American Idol finales yet.

I won’t spoil the final results, but below you’ll find the video that won the hearts of Americans nationwide.

Does American Idol Stand a Chance to Survive Without Aranda?

As we enter 2020 questions loom over both American Idol and Alejandro Aranda.

While the ratings remained decent in Season 17, a number of other shows tried to take on the competition. Among those were The Voice and the new reality show, The Masked Singer. The Voice was also renewed for a fourth season, and the contestants are now even higher in quality. It’s hard to keep things interesting. So what will American Idol’s future be?

If this season had a theme, I imagine it would be a reboot of ideas that originally made American Idol great. They don’t need to reinvent the series. This current season has been a complete reboot from the beginning, and its success can likely be attributed to its new theme of singing and dancing. And with these contestants, there’s little reason to believe they won’t be able to create as successful theme in its third season on ABC.