[13] Joy auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2008, coincidentally on her birthday.

She sang "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II.

Simon Cowell said she had a seriously good voice and he loved it and Kara DioGuardi said that Joy was an interesting girl and that she had an incredible face.

Joy returned for the "Wild Card" show, sang KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and was selected by the judges to be in the Top 13.

Joy kicked off her run in the finals with mostly negative critiques from the judges on her performance of the Jackson 5's "Rockin' Robin".

DioGuardi praised Joy for being able to put her signature on everything she touches and with Randy Jackson in agreement adding "That's so Megan".

During Grand Ole Opry week, Joy had caught the Influenza B virus and was so sick with the flu that she was hooked up to an IV just minutes before taking the stage.

On Motown Night, Joy performed a cover of the Stevie Wonder classic "For Once in My Life" and mentor, Smokey Robinson, said that he believed she was one of the most original contestants American Idol has ever had on the show.

On Top Downloads night, Joy performed "Turn Your Lights Down Low" and she thought the judges were going to feel her this time but they didn't.

On her elimination night, when Megan Joy was asked by Ryan Seacrest on what she thought about what Simon Cowell said about her performance of "Turn Your Lights Down Low" the previous night on Top Downloads Week, she said "I love you Simon, but I didn't really care", in response to him calling her performance "boring, indulgent, and monotonous".

[15] Joy has revealed during an after-Idol interview with TV Guide that there is a possibility that she "obviously blew" her chance at being saved from elimination.

[18] Independent filmmaker Jane Bell has expressed an interest in working with Megan Joy, also, quoted as saying "She simply has too much presence, almost a Grace Kelly kind of thing.

She announced via Twitter on September 24, 2009, that she was in Los Angeles having some meetings and that she has started writing material for her debut album.

Joy also appeared in a local commercial in Draper, Utah for a clothing store called Castle Couture.

As a former employee of the company Megan talked about her Idol experience and sang two songs, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall and "Daydreamer" by Adele.

[20] She also attended Gen Art's 12th Annual 'Fresh Faces in Fashion' at the Petersen Automotive Museum on October 29, 2009, in Los Angeles, California, as well.

[23] On Sunday, November 29, 2009, Joy uploaded two of her songs called "Feel Love" and "Incomplete" on her MySpace.

[24] On December 14, 2009, Joy performed a duet of "Silent Night" with Kevin Griffin from Better Than Ezra at a Barenaked Ladies concert.

[25] On January 6, 2010, Megan stated in an online chat interview with ainow.org that she has worked with, among others, Benji Madden of Good Charlotte on some songs.

[28] On Monday, February 22, 2010, Joy revealed another new song called "Boy Next Door" which was uploaded to her MySpace and was also featured on one of the episodes of the ABC show The Deep End.

On October 13, 2011, Joy revealed one of her new songs titled "Can't Bring Me Down" on her Tumblr and Kickstarter pages.

[43] She appeared in the Idol auditions phase as Megan Corkrey and then added her middle name Joy during the semi-finals.