Since his audition, Kentucky native Noah Thompson has been a standout American Idol contestant and on Monday evening, he once again proved why he’s a top contender in the competition with his Showstopper Round performance.
This round found the show narrowing down the 59 remaining contestants to officially name the Top 24. This marked the first time the contestants had the opportunity to perform alongside a full and in front of a live audience.
Following their performances, the contestants appeared in front of the judges, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, for the “final judgement” as they learned their fate regarding the Top 24.
“For the showstopper round, I chose a Rihanna song called ‘Stay,’” Thompson revealed ahead of his performance.
Bryan admitted he thought Thompson’s song choice was a bit “wild,” but he explained that the song reminds him of home as it’s one he always sang with his girlfriend.
“It shows them what else I could do,” the construction worker explained.
Thompson’s performance earned a standing ovation and he went on to learn his fate within the competition.
“I want my son to see that I’m chasing my dreams and that he can chase his too,” Thompson shared before his Final Judgement.
“I really want to applaud you on your song choices,” Bryan told him. “You got a magic quality going on in your voice, and what I told somebody, I said I’d love to have ten minutes with you just to really fine tune to where you have that magic from the top to the end of the song. If you could figure out how to really hold that because no one is expecting what’s about to come out of your mouth when you start singing and that’s what the crowd did when you were out there, they went ‘holy crap, this is awesome.’ So you got to really use that in your favor and you got to really get there quick.”
The country superstar led him to believe he was not advancing to the Top 24 as he told him, “Unfortunately, it’s the end of the road… for so many people here tonight other than yourself.”
Thompson landed a spot within the Top 24 and shouted, “This is crazy!”
“So call your girlfriend, tell your little one when you get home that Daddy’s in the Top 24,” Bryan excitedly shared.
Thompson then broke down in happy tears and he graciously thanked the Idol judges.
“I’m so grateful to be here,” Thompson admitted. “I try to make sure I let everybody know that because I really am so grateful.”
After earning a spot in the Top 24, Thompson confessed that he felt like appearing on the show pushed him to better. “I’ve always been that guy that didn’t believe in himself, but I’m trying to work on it to overcome my fears.”
He then called his family and friends back home in Kentucky to share the exciting news via video chat.
“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,” Thompson exclaimed.
American Idol returns to ABC next week with the Top 24.
