Leah Marlene

S20 · Third place

As of September 25, 2026

Leah Marlene is an independent singer based in Nashville. She released the EP We're All Buying Into a Dream on February 9, 2024. In 2025 she was a Top 50 finalist in the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. Her single My Girl came out on September 25, 2026.⁠[1][2]

Career

Before the show

  1. December 14, 2018Leah Marlene released the EP Arrow on December 14, 2018.⁠[2][5]
  2. November 13, 2020Leah Marlene released the album The Space Between on November 13, 2020. She has called it her first self-produced album.⁠[2][5]
  3. 2021Leah Marlene won the 2021 SOCAN Young Canadian Songwriter Award.⁠[1]

During or around the show

  1. March 4, 2022Leah Marlene released the album Many Colors on March 4, 2022, just before American Idol. She has called it her second self-produced album.⁠[2][5]
  2. May 2022–2023After American Idol ended in May 2022, Leah Marlene moved to Nashville. She spent most of 2022 and much of 2023 on tour. Sources give hometown-show sales of over 4,000 tickets from more than 35 states, and close to 5,000 tickets from 30 or more states.⁠[1][5]
  3. May 13, 2022Sources date the single Flowers to May 13, 2022, through 19 Recordings. An artist biography ties that release to the American Idol finale.⁠[1][2]

After the show

  1. February 9, 2024Leah Marlene released the six-song EP We're All Buying Into a Dream on February 9, 2024, through Playground Creative LLC.⁠[1][2][5]
  2. 2025As of 2025, Leah Marlene was based in Nashville and working on her next album.⁠[1]
  3. 2025In 2025, Leah Marlene was a Top 50 finalist out of 7,500 entries in the NPR Tiny Desk Contest and was named Nashville's standout entrant for Tiny Desk On the Road.⁠[1]
  4. September 25, 2026Leah Marlene released the single My Girl on September 25, 2026. The copyright names Playground Creative LLC under exclusive license to GRRRL Music.⁠[2]

Date not documented

  1. Flowers reached number 6 on the iTunes chart.⁠[1][5]
  2. Leah Marlene attended Belmont University's songwriting program.⁠[1][5]
  3. Leah Marlene has performed for the U.S. Navy in Italy and Greece and on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea.⁠[1]
  4. Leah Marlene has played well over 100 shows, including the festivals Pilgrimage and Summer Camp, and has shared stages with Jade Bird, Peach Pit, David Cook, The Cat Empire, and Margo Price.⁠[1]

Discography

TitleTypeYearLabelRIAA certificationU.S. sales
Arrow⁠[2][5]EP2018Leah Marlene
The Space Between⁠[2][5]Album2020Leah Marlene
Many Colors⁠[2][5]Album2022Leah Marlene
We're All Buying Into a Dream⁠[1][2]EP2024Playground Creative LLC

Awards

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2021SOCANYoung Canadian Songwriter Award⁠[1]Won

Other activity

  • On the American Idol finale, Katy Perry joined Leah Marlene to perform Firework. They had one rehearsal.⁠[5]

Sources

5 sources

  1. Extended bio — Leah Marlene. Label or artist. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • Now: “Now based in Nashville, Leah is currently working on her next album.”
    • 2025: “In 2025 she was selected as a Top 50 finalist out of 7,500 entries”
    • Copyright: “© Playground Creative LLC 2025”
    • Before Idol: “was awarded the 2021 SOCAN Young Canadian Songwriter Award”
    • Tickets: “sold over 4,000 tickets for a hometown concert that drew fans from more than 35 states”
    • Flowers: “reached #6 on iTunes when performed and released on the Idol finale”
    • EP: “six-song EP We’re All Buying Into a Dream (2024)”
    • 2025: “Top 50 finalist out of 7,500 entries in NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest”
  2. iTunes Search API: Leah Marlene — Apple. Release database. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • We're All Buying Into A Dream - EP: "releaseDate":"2024-02-09T08:00:00Z"
    • My Girl - Single: "releaseDate":"2026-09-25T07:00:00Z"
    • Arrow - EP: "copyright":"℗ 2018 Leah Marlene"
    • Arrow - EP: "releaseDate":"2018-12-14T08:00:00Z"
    • Flowers - Single: "copyright":"℗ 2022 19 Recordings, Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC"
    • Flowers - Single: "releaseDate":"2022-05-13T07:00:00Z"
    • Feel Like - Single: "copyright":"℗ 2023 Playground Creative LLC"
    • Feel Like - Single: "releaseDate":"2023-05-12T07:00:00Z"
  3. List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, updated June 10, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Contestants table, row Leah Marlene: Season 20, Place finish 3rd
  4. American Idol season 20 — Wikipedia, updated December 31, 2025. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Lead section; Top 3 – Finale (May 22) section and table (Third place); Elimination chart, row Leah Marlene: Pl. 3, Finale (5/22) Third Place: “Leah Marlene finished in third place”
  5. Conversations with Leah Marlene — Nashville Voyager, published February 26, 2024. News report. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • Catalog: “an EP, Arrow”
    • Albums: “two self-produced albums; The Space Between and Many Colors”
    • First album: “I produced my first album, The Space Between”
    • Many Colors: “released her second self-produced album, Many Colors”
    • After the show: “came to a close in May of 2022”
    • After the show: “She quickly moved to Nashville”
    • Touring: “spend the majority of 2022 and much of 2023 traveling”
    • Tickets: “selling close to 5,000 tickets to concertgoers from 30+ states”

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