Jessica Sanchez returning to 'America's Got Talent'

Jessica Sanchez returning to 'Amrica's Got Talent."

Remember Jessica Sanchez? The Filipino American singer is back on television.

I remember cheering and voting for the her in American Idol when she was 16 years old. She almost won, coming up short in the final, losing to a guitar-playiing white guy. In my mind, she should have won.In America's Got Talent's first show this season, the May 27 show featured a teaser about Sanchez's upcoming appearance.

This time, she's on America's Got Talent, for which she first auditioned 20 years ago on the reality competition' first season. In AGT'sfirst show this season, the May 27 show featured a teaser about Sanchez's upcoming appearance.

As a 10-year old on AGT, Sanchez became a wildcard act but did not advance to the grand finals.

"Being 10 years old on AGT played such a massive role in me believing in something bigger for myself, for my voice," the singer posted on social media.

After American Idol, she sang at several events, including the Democratic National Convention in 2016 where she performed the theme song for Hillary Clinton's campaign.  She put out  a couple of recordings but her career never really took off and has several appearances in the Philippines as well as the US.

In 2021, she married Rickie Gallardo in 2021. Gallardo is not in the music industry but his support has been vital in Sanchez's  rocky career.

FYI: The AGT trailer did not say when Jessica Sanchez will perform on the reality show so keep an eye on your local listings. AGT airs Tuesdays, 8 p.m. on ABC.

"I’m more of a perfectionist," she said in an interview with PhilStar. "And I kind of tend to put myself down a lot when I’m not at this standard that I’m trying to reach. With everybody around me, with my mom, my friends, my family, but most importantly, my partner, he’s always there pushing me, supporting me, telling me, ‘You got this,’ in my super low moments, when I really doubt myself."

But she hopes she can give her career a boost by returning to AGT.

"What a huge blessing it is to be able to come back and chase after my dreams again after 20 years. Can’t wait to see what God has in store for me ❤️," she added on Instagram.

Since Amrican Idol, her journey has been rocky, she admits. She also encountered discrimination and “people telling me I can’t do that, I can’t do this because I’m Asian.” She has released a power ballad about it, titled Us, which she also co-wrote and features fellow Asian American artists Apl.De.Ap., Patrick Starr and AJ Rafael.

During tough times in her career, her Filipino mom acted as a morale booster and support system. “From a young age, because of my mom, because she has such a strong personality, she’s always told me and taught me like, you know, don’t let anybody ever tell you that you can’t do something no matter your circumstance or your race or anything like that, or because you’re a woman or anything like that. That really stuck with me and I carry that throughout my whole career,” she said.

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