American Idol season 16 contestant, Arkansas native Noah Davis, has had success since he appeared on the show in 2018. At 18 years old, Noah auditioned with a performance of "Stay" by Rihanna during which he played the piano. Noah also captured people's attention on the show when he used the word "wig" during his audition, confusing judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. However, Katy Perry knew exactly what Noah meant, later explaining in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel that wig is a term to describe when somebody sings "so well that the wig flies off." The judges sent him to Hollywood, but he did not make it to the Top 24 after the final judgment. Noah was a memorable contestant because, during his audition, he had stated that he always wanted to adopt an alpaca. During the American Idol season 16 finale, Ryan Seacrest presented Noah with his own legally adopted pet alpaca.

Noah has drastically changed since his appearance on American Idol during which there was a focus on his life growing up on a farm and as a nursing student at Arkansas Tech University. Noah has embraced his homosexuality, and has become an icon in the gay community, encouraging people to accept themselves no matter their sexuality or size. In a November 2021 tweet, Noah responded to those who noticed the change, writing, "I was literally depressed and in the closet" when he was on American Idol. In another tweet, he said that he has worked very hard to make his own dreams happen. Noah revealed that, although he is grateful for the exposure American Idol gave him, "they haven't helped me make my music or my career."

Related: American Idol: Less Obvious Alums Who Should Be Season 20 Mentors

Since his time on American Idol, Noah has released a lot of new music and has 337,229 monthly listeners on Spotify. His songs have a total of 6.3 million streams. He is managed by Valiant Music Ventures. In October 2021, he released the album, F*ck Flowers, which Noah announced was one of the Top 5 pop albums on iTunes when it came out. Noah's latest release, the song "Hush Little Baby," debuted in February 2022 and received rave reviews from his fans on his Instagram account. Many of his songs contain adult themes and language, so listeners should be cautious because his new content does not reflect the wholesome image that he projected on American Idol.

In a January 2 Instagram post, Noah looked forward to the new year, announcing, "I’m bout to get real cocky 2022 so watch out. It’s giving multiple albums. It’s giving music videos. It’s giving fashion. It’s giving label deals. It’s giving money. It’s giving stardom. Some of y’all out here wondering how I’m doing so well and I haven’t even gotten started yet." Noah wants to further his career through his music and his live performances. Most recently he headlined the We Found New Music (WFNM) showcase on January 27, 2022, at Bar Lubitsch in West Hollywood.

Noah's time on American Idol may have been short, but he has a long career ahead of him. As he embraces his true self, he inspires others to do the same. Noah is unapologetically himself, and people can learn from his journey.

Next: American Idol: Catching Up With The Reboot Winners

Source: Noah Davis/Twitter, Noah Davis/Instagram