'American Idol's Aliana Jester Got a Standing Ovation... for Her First Audition!

*Spoiler warning: Light spoilers for American Idol Season 18 ahead.*

Season 18 of American Idol is underway and we already have a few favorites among the many talented hopefuls performing at the auditions.

Our latest obsession is Tampa native Aliana Jester, who caught the attention of American Idol judges during the auditions they were holding in Mobile, Ala. She even got a standing ovation during her chilling performance of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." 

So what else do we know about this hopeful vocalist and how far does Aliana make it on American Idol? Keep reading to learn more about this singer and watch her perform on social media.

As soon as Aliana showed up to the American Idol auditions in Mobile, she quickly caught the attention of many. AL.com even went so far as to call her an "early standout" of the day and detailed the songs she performed for the judges for the initial audition.

The 18-year-old kicked off with parts of Beyoncé's "Listen" and the Jackson 5's "Who's Loving You" before launching into "I Will Always Love You," which received a standing ovation not just from the judges but from the whole crowd who came out to the auditions.

"I'm super excited," she told the outlet, adding that she's previously auditioned for The Voice as well as America's Got Talent.

After eliciting such a powerful response from the crowd in Mobile, Aliana was immediately picked to move forward to the "winners' circle," and since then, she's started a GoFundMe to ask others for help in supporting her dreams.

Back in December, Aliana began a campaign to raise funds while she's "reaching for the stars and trying to achieve my dreams!" Since it sounds like she's unable to work during the current American Idol season, she's looking to the public to "help me out financially as I take this next step towards my dreams!"

She recently surpassed her goal of $1,000 and is now looking to raise $3,000 for her "personal and physical" costs until she can go back to work.

The fact that she can't work due to her American Idol duties is telling of how far she makes it on the singing competition show.

Aliana manages to advance to the Top 40, where she continues to wow audiences with her rendition of The Greatest Showman's "This Is Me," by Keala Settle and Kesha. The performance ultimately goes so well, she quickly advances to the Top 20 of the group.

To stay up to date with Aliana's amazing performances on her Instagram and YouTube pages, plus follow her on Twitter to learn more about the weekly watch parties she's hosting in Florida. 

Following Feb. 16's episode, she even delivered a performance to the crowd who assembled to watch with her.

Don't miss Aliana when new episodes of American Idol air Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.