Pensacola “American Idol” third-place finalist Keyla Richardson not only shared her talent with the world during her exciting run on the singing competition, but also showcased the city of Pensacola in a hometown video package reaching millions.
Filmed last week and aired in the season finale on May 11, the over three-minute-long video reached 5.71 million people, according to Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves, who played a major role in coordinating with producers to highlight Pensacola.
“We want them to give the best representation of our city possible, and we didn’t want to leave that for chance,” Reeves told the News Journal while planning. “We don’t want producers just having to Google things from across the country.”
If you missed the finale episode when it aired, it is now available to watch below:
The finished product pans to different scenes of the city, showing Richardson jet skiing out at Pensacola Beach, strolling through the 12th Avenue tree tunnel, at a Blue Wahoos game, a downtown parade with various Mardi Gras krewes, a Blue Angels flyby, and a packed-out concert at the Hunter Amphitheater to a crowd of 11,000.
Reeves, who shared the video on social media on May 14, seems to have accomplished the mission.
“From her visit with the Blue Angels to her concert, this video is more than a story about talent. It is about perseverance, community, family, and the city that helped shape her. The beaches, the people, the music, the spirit of Pensacola, it all shines through,” Reeves wrote. “What a beautiful moment for Keyla and for our city to be seen on a national stage. Thank you for helping Pensacola put its best foot forward to the world.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: See the Pensacola ‘American Idol’ video that reached 5.7 million
Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
