"American Idol Season 16" Premiere: TV Show Revives With Mandisa Featured In Iconic Series Segment

Mandisa

The long-running TV Show "American Idol" was revived last night on ABC after having been discontinued by Fox in 2016. The Season 16 premiere featured Grammy-winning Christian singer-songwriter and American Idol Season 5 finalist Mandisa in a new Iconic Series special.

During the Iconic Series segment, Mandisa discussed her life after American Idol and all that she has accomplished since competing in Season 5.

Until now, Mandisa has released five studio albums, two remix albums, and two Christmas albums, in addition to having been awarded one Grammy Award, but for Mandisa it is not the career accomplishments she wants to put the spotlight on. Instead, she lifts up her struggles with depression and how she hopes her music can encourage others facing the same battle.

"I call myself super-duper single [because] I've never been married, got no kids, I live by myself," Mandisa says during the segment. "I'm kind of right on the line between introvert and extrovert. I need my alone time, but I also need time with people. And so, for me, I start turning to old unhealthy habits when I'm spending too much time by myself.

She continues, "It was difficult talking so openly about my depression. I've seen people who have no idea who I am but they happen to be watching 'Good Morning America' that day, and it let them know that they weren't alone."

As for the reason she continues to do music, Mandisa's answer is simple:

"I just know that when I get to the end of my life, it's really not going to matter how many Grammys I have-though I appreciate my Grammy award [laugh]-it's just not what I'm going to measure my life by. I'm going to measure my life by, 'But did my music change anybody, did it encourage people, did it have an impact on anybody's soul?'"