‘The Voice’ finalist wasn't going to try for ‘American Idol’ — until one thing changed his mind
'The Voice' finalist Thunderstorm Artis is spilling the beans on his decision to audition for 'American Idol'! For the unversed, let us share with you that Artis competed on Season 18 of 'The Voice,' which saw the light of day in 2020. During his time on the NBC singing show, Artis was coached by John Legend and then Nick Jonas, and he finished in third place. Despite his successful run on the show, Artis decided to participate in the ABC singing competition 'American Idol' after five years. While having a conversation with Parade magazine, Artis candidly spoke about appearing on 'American Idol.' At that point, Artis shared, “Originally, man, I was terrified about doing a second show."
Artis, who was 29 years old at that time, had the last chance to give an audition for 'American Idol' before he surpassed the show's age cut-off. Then, Artis explained, “I felt like I was in a very different season. I have two kids now. I have a wonderful wife, and I am in a different season of life, so I wanted to come on here and really showcase my artistry in a way that I didn’t get to do on the last show with some original music. I really wanted to see if I had what it took. Life is all about taking chances, and so I wanted to take a chance on myself with this show.”
In the same interview, the Nashville-based musician stated that he wasn't trying to throw any shade at 'The Voice' by doing another singing show. Artis further elaborated, “It’s no shade on The Voice. It was an amazing experience. [And he’s still friends with coach John Legend.] It really helped shape me in my younger years. Now, five years later, I just feel like I’m a different man and a different artist, and I’m looking forward to saying, ‘Hey, America, do you remember me?’ and just showing them who I am.”
At the moment, Artis is pulling out all the stops to survive on Season 23 of 'American Idol.' During the most recent episode of the show, which dropped on May 4, Artis stunned the judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood with a beautiful rendition of 'When We Were Young' by Adele. As per TV Insider, while sharing his feedback on Artis' performance, Richie enthused, “You make cool, cool. When I say that, you have a way of taking … By the way, we just discovered you play piano. What else do you do? Listen, that way of taking us down to a solid viewer’s point of view where you can shrink it down to your voice, your sound—I’m so in love with what you just did.”
When 'American Idol' shared the video of Artis' performance on YouTube, the fans couldn't stop gushing over his vocals. One social media user penned, "This is your time, Thunderstorm! You've gotten so much better than when you were on The Voice, and you're getting a better spotlight now. I'm so excited!" Followed by another fan who wrote, "This dude is insanely talented.... never thought a man could sing this song and it would sound way better than the original." Another netizen stated, "My favorite performance of the night. Every week, he takes you on a journey with his song, with his voice, and with the arrangements. He is a master storyteller. Loved this song for him."