“American Idol” hopeful is Noah Thompson showing his range.
On Monday night’s new episode, the 19-year-old Kentucky construction worker decided to shake things up for his Showstopper round performance, putting a country twist on Rihanna.
Thompson performed a soulful, country-inflected rendition of the R&B star’s hit single “Stay”, and immediately impressed the judges and everyone at home.
The judges did have a few notes, though.
“You have a magic quality going on in your voice,” Luke Bryan told him. “I’d love to just have 10 minutes with you, just to really fine-tune to where you have the magic from the top to the end of the song.”
Following that minor criticism, the judges revealed Thompson’s fate.
“Unfortunately, it’s the end of the road… for so many people here tonight other than yourself,” Bryan said, letting him know he’d made it into the Top 24.
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“This is crazy!” a shocked Thompson said.
“So call your girlfriend, tell your little one when you get home that Daddy’s in the Top 24,” Bryan told him.
“I’ve always been that guy that didn’t believe in himself, but I’m trying to work on it to overcome my fears,” Thompson said afterward, before calling his family to share the news. “One day, I hope as a dad, this will be something my little boy can be proud of. This is the best day of my life, besides the birth of my baby, but besides that, this is the best day of my life.”
