Two American Idol Hopefuls Were Eliminated On May 12
Season 23 of American Idol is nearing the end. On Monday, May 12th’s episode, the Top 3 finalists were revealed to be Breanna Nix, John Foster, and Jamal Roberts.
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Slater Nalley and Thunderstorm Artis were sent home right before the finals.
Slater Nalley’s Road To The Top 5
Nalley impressed Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan with his original song, “Traces of You. ” The song was originally a poem written by his teacher, Mrs. Davis, about her son, who was tragically killed eight years ago.
It has become one of the most special auditions in Idol‘s 23-year history, and we’re so thankful that Nalley and Mrs. Davis shared this moment with the world.
Nalley continued to give strong performances throughout the season, including “I Remember Everything,” “Angel From Montgomery,” “Whoever’s In New England,” and an excellent collaboration with Foster and Artis.
The night of his elimination, Nalley performed “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” and “Born To Be Wild” for Disney Night, but it wasn’t enough to send him to the finale on May 18.
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Thunderstorm Artis’ Road To The Top 5
Thunderstorm Artis impressed the judges at his audition with an original song, “Don’t Let Me Let You Go,” inspired by his wife, Faith. If you think Artis looks familiar, it’s probably because he placed third on Season 18 of The Voice.
The dad of two has been performing songs of all different genres, including The Beatles’ “Imagine,” Bob Marley’s “Is This Love?” Cory Asbury’s “Reckless Love,” “The House of the Rising Sun,” Adele’s “When We Were Young,” and Journey’s “Faithfully.”
The night of his elimination, Artis performed “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella and “Find Yourself from Cars.
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They Both Broke Their Social Media Silence After Being Eliminated From The Competition
After taking some time to digest the elimination, Artis and Nalley posted videos to their social media accounts.
“Well, guys, that was a great run,” Artis said in the video. “I had so much fun. I’m filled with so much gratitude that I got to stand on a stage in front of millions of people and sing songs that I’m really passionate about.”
He continued, “[I] really wanted to make the Top 3, but it’s totally fine. I feel like we won a lot of things, including making the Top 5. I’m excited to put music out, and I’m excited for what’s next. I know God has a plan.”
Artis explained that he was so happy for the three remaining finalists and even plans on voting for them. He concluded his video by saying, “I want to thank the whole Idol family for having me, and this was a great one. This was so much fun. Thank you guys for your support; it means a lot!”
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“Thank you so much for everything. I can’t believe I’ve made it this far already. ‘American Idol,’ thank you for giving me this opportunity and to the fans, thank you so much for bringing me some joy, so much joy, and getting me this far! I never thought I’d make it this far. I appreciate y’all and I’m so grateful for this.”
Like Artis, he said his musical journey is nowhere near done. He plans on releasing his original music and thinks the fans will “really, really enjoy” it.
Before signing off, Nalley said, “I’m really excited, I’m not bummer. I’m excited and I love you guys. Thank you so much for everything.”
Watch his video below.