‘American Idol’ Season 22 judge Luke Bryan compares Triston Harper with Frank Sinatra after charismatic performance

American Idol judges think Triston Harper can win the competition
15-year-old Triston Harper is in the Top 5 of 'American Idol' Season 22 (@abc)
15-year-old Triston Harper is in the Top 5 of 'American Idol' Season 22 (@abc)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Triston Harper's rendition of 'Almost There' from 'The Princess and the Frog' in his top 5 performance earned high praise from the 'American Idol' Season 22 judges, who were impressed by his performance and stage presence. Lionel Richie commended Triston for his comfort on stage, noting that he exuded confidence and made the judges feel comfortable as well. Katy Perry lauded Triston's performance, stating that he was not just "almost there," but had already arrived.

Luke Bryan drew a notable comparison, likening Triston's charm and charisma to that of the legendary Frank Sinatra. “You’re just a charmer. It was like watching Frank Sinatra up there," he said. During the interaction, guest judge Kane Brown opened up to Triston Harper, sharing some personal details, which made Triston admire him even more. Triston expressed his intention to perform 'Almost There' from 'The Princess and the Frog', but initially, Kane Brown wasn't fully convinced about his choice.

However, Triston worked on refining his rendition, impressing Kane with his improvement. Eventually, Kane became a fan of Triston's performance, indicating that he approved of Triston's song choice and execution.

Katy Perry tells Triston Harper he's "loved" by people 

Last week, Katy Perry expressed her admiration for Triston Harper's performance, remarking that "People are in love with you." She added a touch of humor by saying, "You scared me and you scared your mother."

Luke Bryan joined in with praise, describing Triston's performance as "tremendous", noting that it was "perfectly done" and predicting that it would surely capture the hearts of Americans. Lionel Richie echoed the sentiment, labeling Triston as excellent.

'American Idol' Season 22 contestant Triston Harper is in the Top 5 (@abc)
'American Idol' Season 22 contestant Triston Harper is in the Top 5 (@abc)

Judges think Triston Harper can win 'American Idol' Season 22

The judges on 'American Idol' Season 22 were highly optimistic about Triston Harper's chances of winning the competition after his Disney week performance. Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie have all expressed their belief in Triston's talent and potential to emerge victorious. 

Katy praised Triston's performance and the impact he's making on the audiences, stating, "People are in love with you."  Luke Bryan echoed Katy's sentiment, describing Triston's performance as "tremendous" and highlighting that it was flawlessly executed. He emphasized that Triston's performance was so compelling that it would undoubtedly resonate with viewers, saying, "There is no way Americans cannot fall in love with that performance."

"You are the youngest man with the oldest soul I’ve ever met in my life. You have a swagger that at 15 years old that you don’t even know you have." Jelly Roll added, "You can win this competition, young man, you can win this competition."

'American Idol' Season 22 contestant Triston Harper performs Elvis Persely's song (Instagram/@americanidol)
'American Idol' Season 22 judges loved Triston Harper's performance (Instagram/@americanidol)

 'American Idol' Season 22 grand finale will premiere on Sunday, May 19 at 8 pm ET on ABC.

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