Why Leah Marlene Feels American Idol Was Not A ‘Dream Come True’

screenrant.com:

Singer-songwriter Leah Marlene became a household name when she placed third on American Idol season 20 in May, but she now admits that the show was not the «dream come true» that she thought it would be. Leah auditioned for the show at 20 year old and impressed the American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan with her incredible rendition of «Steal My Girl» by One Direction and her original song «Wisher to the Well.» Leah is from Normal, Illinois, but her energetic and quirky demeanor proved that she was anything but «normal.» She brought her special magic to every one of her performances.

Leah's full circle American Idol moment came when she sang «Firework» with Katy Perry on the finale, after revealing that she had sung the song in a talent show when she was nine-years-old. Also, her single, «Flowers,» climbed the charts after it was released on May 13 and Leah performed it on the finale. The song uses the metaphor of flowers growing through the pavement to represent how people can rise up through difficult times. It was inspired by Leah's own struggles with depression and anxiety and how she found her way back to herself. Since American Idol, she has used her platform to help other people who are experiencing similar situations.

Related: What Leah Marlene Has Been Up To Since The American Idol Finale

In an Instagram post, Leah shared a song that she wrote with two friends that she called «a big ole safety blanket to me the past two months,» and opened up about how much she has been struggling since American Idol ended. She said that it has been "really freaking hard." Leah explained that she has been working «nonstop to make something happen out of this and I feel like I’m going in never ending