Five years after his third-place finish on The Voice, Thunderstorm Artis is coming for the American Idol crown. Impressing judges and viewers week after week with performances like “House of the Rising Sun,” the 29-year-old native Hawaiian found himself among the Top 10 performers of season 23. With two artists exiting during Sunday’s (May 4) episode, Artis did his best to ensure he wasn’t one of them with this impressive performance.
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Thunderstorm Artis Wows ‘American Idol’ Judges With “When We Were Young” Cover
In honor of Ladies Night on American Idol, Thunderstorm Artis performed “When We Were Young” by Adele. “Thunderstorm is a superstar what a performance,” one fan wrote on X/Twitter.
That was such an intimate moment from Thunderstorm. It was like a war cry and I got some of those goosebumps that tells me something resonated with my soul. #AmericanIdol
— Franky (@RKOBlackSwan) May 5, 2025
Tonight saw the Top 10 paying homage to women who have left their mark on music. Fittingly, country firebrand Miranda Lambert was on hand to mentor the remaining contestants, as well as celebrate 20 years of her breakout hit “Kerosene” with a fiery performance on the Idol stage.
Monday’s (May 5) episode marks the returns of Judge’s Song Night. To secure their spot in the next round, the Top 8 finalists will perform songs secretly hand-picked for them by judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood.
Viewers will crown the season 23 winner during the three-hour finale on Sunday, May 18.
[RELATED: ‘American Idol’ Fans Sound off After ‘The Voice’ Finalist Is Allowed to Audition]
How ‘The Voice’ Helped Thunderstorm Artis On His ‘Idol; Journey
If Thunderstorm Artis looks familiar to American Idol viewers, there’s a good reason. The singer-songwriter nearly won season 18 of The Voice, finishing third on finale night as a member of John Legend’s team.
At first, Artis admits he was “terrified” to subject himself to another singing reality competition show. But as he approached his 30th birthday—the cutoff age for Idol contestants—he decided to take the risk.
With two children and a “wonderful wife,” Artis feels like the latest season of his life is more conducive to trying out for Idol.
“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,” he told Parade. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
Featured image by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
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