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'American Idol' Season 18 Episode 6: Arthur Gunn cruises through Hollywood week and judges can't have enough

Arthur Gunn's trademark soulful, raspy vocals drew a standing ovation from the judges who even asked him for an encore, an unheard-of thing in Hollywood week

The latest episode of 'American Idol' just premiered on Monday night and this time, it's in Hollywood. All the preliminary audition rounds are over. Now the aspiring 'Idol' contestants have to bring their A-game in order to make it through to the next round. The first round in Hollywood divided the contestants into different groups of their own choosing. They got to decide which genre they wanted to showcase their talents in.

It effectively served as a weeding process, with the singing hopefuls giving it their best shot, despite the enormous odds (and nerves) stacked against them.

One of the favorites for the final rounds was Dibesh Pokharel, aka Arthur Gunn, who really came into his own during Hollywood week. Dibesh made a big impression in the early stages of the competition, as a young Nepali import brought up on bluegrass and country music in Wichita, Kansas. Over the past few years, Dibesh had chosen to release his solo music under his artiste moniker Arthur Gunn, which had already garnered him some local attention, thanks to his amazing pipes.

In Hollywood, he sang 'Hard To Handle', which had been made famous by Otis Redding and The Black Crowes, and his rocky version completely floored the judges.

His expansive voice and gritty, raspy tones made him a sure-fire finalist, and everyone listening knew it too. In fact, the judging panel of Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie liked his rendition so much that they even asked him to keep going — something generally unheard of in the very first Hollywood round.

Arthur was happy to oblige the eager crowd and belted out another verse in his trademark sandpapery voice. He received a standing ovation and with this, he cruised through to next week, along with other aspiring Idols in his category such as the talented Julia Gargano. 

People on social media were also in love with his soulful performance. Some of them were hearing Dibesh sing for the first time and couldn't believe their ears.

One fan on Twitter gushed, "YES keep singing Arthur Gunn. We want more #AmericanIdol. When can I buy his album?" Another thrilled viewer said, "Will @AmericanIdol
just open up the voting so I can cast every vote for Arthur Gunn!!! That boy can sing!!!"

Judging by the reactions, I guess it's safe to say that we know who one of the top finalists is going to be. Make sure you tune in next week to cheer your favorites on.