It’s officially “reality singing competition show” season. Season 27 of The Voice is already underway on NBC with a much-anticipated comeback from one beloved OG coach. Returning to ABC on March 9, American Idol has its own comeback in store, as season 4 winner Carrie Underwood makes her judging debut. And the “Before He Cheats” songstress won’t be the only familiar face on viewers’ screen. Five years after nearly winning The Voice, Thunderstorm Artis is back to conquer American Idol.
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‘The Voice’ Season 18 Fan Favorite Heads For ‘American Idol’
Five years ago, Thunderstorm Artis beguiled coaches Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, John Legend, and Blake Shelton with an incredible acoustic cover of the Beatles’ “Blackbird.”
Scoring a four-chair turn, the Hawaiian singer-songwriter went with coach John Legend, who called his Blind Audition performance “magical.” Fans thought so too, and Artis remained a frontrunner before ultimately finishing runner-up to winner Todd Tilghman, of Team Shelton.
Shaking off the loss, Artis went on to share stages with the likes of Jack Johnson, Train, and the Zac Brown Band. And having nearly tasted victory once on The Voice, the now 29-year-old will try his luck again on season 23 of American Idol.
Artis announced the news in a Feb. 8 social media post. The Oahu native shared a picture of himself and wife Faith standing in front of life-sized letters spelling out “IDOL.”
“Well I guess I should let this cat out of the bag…” he wrote. “Tune in March 9th to see if I made it through my audition on American Idol.”
Below, the show’s official Instagram account responded, “Storm front comin’! Ready for you!”
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What Else Has Thunderstorm Artis Been Doing?
Between his stints on The Voice and American Idol, Thunderstorm Artis has been busy building his music career. In addition to the gigs with Train and Jack Johnson, he has released multiple singles. The latest, “Take It Slow,” just came out Friday (Feb. 21.)
Like much of his material, “Take It Slow” seemingly draws from Artis’s marriage to his wife, Faith. The two met “randomly at a concert” after his Blind Audition for The Voice in 2020.
“At the time, I didn’t think that true love really existed,” Artis told People in February 2023. “And to my surprise, she came into my life and tore down a lot of these walls.”
That’s likely where he got the name for his 2023 single, “Surprise.”
“”I’ve always written from a place of pain and turmoil and deep, thought-provoking things,” Artis said. “But with ‘Surprise,’ I wanted to go the opposite way. It was the first time that I was able to write about something that I’m super happy about.”
Featured photo via Instagram
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