Grace Kinstler is best known for finishing third on American Idol in 2021, and she has kept building a public career since then: a documented run on the Chinese competition show Singer 2025 and a catalog of singles that kept growing into 2026.
What’s publicly known
What’s new with Grace Kinstler
People look her up because her public story has three dated chapters. She finished third on American Idol season 19 in May 2021, behind winner Chayce Beckham and runner-up Willie Spence, as Boston.com reported at the time.
She later turned up as a contestant on the Chinese singing competition Singer 2025, which China Daily documented on June 17, 2025, describing her gratitude for the reception from Chinese fans during her stay in the country. She has also kept releasing original music through 2026, so anyone who lost track of her after Idol has real, dated activity to catch up on: a documented American Idol placement, a later international competition appearance, and an active release schedule.
What's publicly known
Kinstler grew up in the Crystal Lake and Lakewood area of Illinois and graduated from Crystal Lake Central High School, according to Shaw Local's reporting on her hometown send-off. She moved to Boston in 2018 to study songwriting at Berklee College of Music, telling the Boston Globe that Berklee was "the only school I applied to."
Her father, Mitch Kinstler, died unexpectedly in February 2020, a loss she has said shaped her American Idol audition song choice and much of her early songwriting. She told the Daily Campus that her first released song, "The World Doesn't Wait," came out when she was 14, and her Berklee vocal instructor Susan Cattaneo told WCVB that Kinstler's voice showed "maturity and emotional connection rarely found in someone so young."
After Idol, she released "Breaking Myself" in April 2022, nearly a year after her elimination, MassLive reported. Her catalog has kept growing since then: Qobuz's discography page lists "Pray for You" (2022), "Not Me It's You" (2023), and "Human Too" (2025) among her original singles, alongside earlier work and covers. If you're trying to verify someone with a much thinner public trail than Kinstler's, TheTeaReport's people-search report pulls public profiles and records into one place instead of leaving you to piece it together from scratch.
Timeline of public updates
- 2018: Kinstler moves to Boston and enrolls at Berklee College of Music as a songwriting major.
- February 2020: Her father, Mitch Kinstler, dies unexpectedly, an event she later credited with shaping her Idol run.
- May 23, 2021: She finishes third on American Idol season 19, per Boston.com and WCVB.
- May 14, 2021: "Love Someone" is released, listed in her Qobuz discography.
- April 2022: She releases "Breaking Myself," her first single after the show, MassLive reported.
- 2022 to 2025: Her Qobuz discography adds "Pray for You," "Not Me It's You," and "Human Too."
- June 17, 2025: China Daily reports her participation as a contestant on Singer 2025 in China.
- May 29, 2026: Qobuz lists "Illusions" among her singles, released by 21 Entertainment Group.
- July 31, 2026: TV Insider reports her engagement to longtime partner Joseph Wheatley.
Latest update
The most recent dated development in Kinstler's public record is her engagement. TV Insider reported on July 31, 2026 that she and Joseph Wheatley, together for nearly seven years, announced their engagement in a joint Instagram post. She had marked their six-year anniversary in November 2025 by writing that Wheatley "learned Mandarin at a moments notice and then spoke it in front of millions on Chinese television."
On the music side, the most recent single listed in her Qobuz discography under her own name is "Illusions," dated May 29, 2026, released by 21 Entertainment Group. That same catalog page also shows a VoicePlay medley credit dated January 30, 2026, a separate collaborative listing rather than a solo release.
What people are discussing
- Community gossip: Fans reacting to her Singer 2025 performances call her voice phenomenal and describe getting chills, with several singling out a performance in Chinese as proof of her range (thread, thread).
- Community gossip: Recurring posts call her "our own Grace" and "our fantastic Grace," treating her Singer 2025 run as a storyline worth following episode to episode (thread, thread).
- Community gossip: Some posts describe her advancing further into Singer 2025, including one thread framing a later round as her heading to the finale, a detail circulating in these discussions rather than in the dated reporting above (thread, thread).
Sources behind Grace Kinstler's career timeline
The dated reporting and first-party pages behind the claims in this spotlight.
- 01boston.comBoston.com: Kinstler eliminated from American Idol finale (opens in a new tab)
Reports her third-place finish on American Idol season 19 and identifies her as a Berklee songwriting major.
- 02wcvb.comWCVB: Berklee student wows judges during Idol finale (opens in a new tab)
Confirms her top-three finish and quotes Berklee professor Susan Cattaneo on her voice and songwriting.
- 03bostonglobe.comBoston Globe: Kinstler turns grief into gold on American Idol (opens in a new tab)
Kinstler's own words on moving to Boston in 2018 for Berklee and her father's death in February 2020.
- 04shawlocal.comShaw Local: Lakewood native eliminated after finale voting (opens in a new tab)
Confirms her hometown of Lakewood, Illinois and her graduation from Crystal Lake Central High School.
- 05masslive.comMassLive: Kinstler releases new music after placing third (opens in a new tab)
Documents the April 2022 release of "Breaking Myself," her first single after Idol.
- 06chinadaily.com.cnChina Daily: Kinstler praises music exchange on Singer 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Dated June 17, 2025 report documenting her role as a contestant on the Chinese show Singer 2025.
- 07qobuz.comQobuz: Grace Kinstler discography (opens in a new tab)
Official catalog listing showing release titles and dates, including "Illusions" dated May 29, 2026.
- 08tvinsider.comTV Insider: Grace Kinstler engaged to Joseph Wheatley (opens in a new tab)
Reports her July 31, 2026 engagement and recaps her American Idol season and placement.
Fan questions about Grace Kinstler's season, music, and current competition
What season of American Idol was Grace Kinstler on, and where did she place?
She competed on American Idol season 19 in 2021 and finished third, behind winner Chayce Beckham and runner-up Willie Spence. Boston.com and WCVB both reported the result on May 23, 2021.
What is Grace Kinstler's newest song?
The newest single listed under her name on Qobuz's discography page is "Illusions," released May 29, 2026 through 21 Entertainment Group. Earlier titles in that same catalog include "Human Too" (2025), "Not Me It's You" (2023), and "Pray for You" (2022).
What is Grace Kinstler competing on now?
The most recent televised competition documented for her is Singer 2025, a Chinese singing show on Hunan Satellite TV and Mango TV. China Daily reported on June 17, 2025 that she was a contestant and quoted her describing the reception from Chinese fans during her stay. No dated report available here confirms how far she advanced in that competition, so that detail stays open.
Is Grace Kinstler still releasing music?
Yes. Qobuz's catalog shows continuous activity into 2026, with "Illusions" as the newest title dated May 29, 2026.
Is Grace Kinstler engaged?
TV Insider reported on July 31, 2026 that Kinstler got engaged to longtime partner Joseph Wheatley after nearly seven years together.
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