Who Is ‘American Idol’ Star Colin Stough? Learn All About the Country Singer From Mississippi
Published May 13 2023, 12:01 p.m. ET
A newcomer to the music industry, but a standout performer in Season 21 of American Idol, is none other than Colin Stough. The country artist quickly became a fan-favorite of the season and reached the Top 5 of the competition.
Viewers are starting to wonder more about the singer and his background. Where is Colin from? What do the American Idol judges think of him? Here is what we know about the rising country star.
Who is Colin Stough from 'American Idol'?
Colin was only 18 years old when he auditioned for American Idol. He's from a small town called Gattman, Miss., and works as an HVAC technician. He revealed in his audition that it was actually his mother that signed him up for American Idol.
After performing in front of the judges, he was quickly given three yeses to continue in the competition. His audition has over 2 million views on YouTube.
And even though he has been labeled as a country singer, Colin has covered songs from a unique range of music artists, from Chris Stapleton to Alanis Morissette.
For the duets round of the competition, he performed alongside fellow contestant Megan Danielle.
The judges loved his rendition of "Dancing On My Own".
After going to Hollywood and making it through round after round, one of his most standout performances was when Colin sang a country version of "Dancing On My Own" in the Top 12. His version took the song in a completely different direction, and deeply moved all the judges.
When talking about his performance, Katy Perry said, "What he did tonight with the Robyn song was, I think, one of the best performances of the whole night. Tonight, Colin made me a believer. He really sealed his deal. It only took a different moment. I think he literally turned his life around. He's the Brad Pitt of country music. He's got the taste and the song choice and the vocal ability, he really showcased it tonight."
Luke Bryan went as far as to say that he sees some of himself in Colin.
"When I get a country kid like Colin, I can see myself in him," the star declared. "On the show last night, I really, really challenged him to be aggressive with that mentality. He went out there, and he did a great job, and that’s fun for me. It’s fun to see a kid get it. When the lightbulb comes on like, ‘Oh, man, I’ve got to really own this thing, I can’t aww shucks my way through this thing.’ I think he really did that.”
Outside of American Idol, Colin is branching out to start his music career and has released one single. His debut song "Bad Day" is available to listen to on Spotify.
The finale episode of American Idol Season 21 airs on May 21, 2023. Catch on episodes of the show Sundays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
