American Idol season 20 judge Luke Bryan revealed that, although any one of the Top 5 could potentially win the competition, he does have a frontrunner in mind. The Top 5 contestants are Nicolina, HunterGirl, Fritz Hager, Leah Marlene, and Noah Thompson. Each of these contestants has the distinction of never having been in the bottom of the competition and never having to be saved by the judges. They have earned quite a following on social media, and fans are eagerly awaiting the releases of their first singles on Friday, May 13.
Throughout the competition, Luke and his fellow American Idol judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie have been cheerleaders for the contestants, praising them for their stellar performances and offering constructive criticism when it was needed. After being mentored by various American Idol alumni, Derek Hough, and will.i.am, the contestants are now heading to Las Vegas for a mentoring session with country superstar and American Idol season 4 winner Carrie Underwood.
In an interview with Access Hollywood, Luke revealed that he thinks that Noah is the frontrunner to win American Idol season 20. He said that he thinks it is interesting that a lot of the American Idol fans that are voting have probably already picked their favorites, and he thinks that it is going to be "a tight race." He emphasized that he thinks "it's anybody's game. I really do." He said that this is because everybody in the Top 5 has their strengths that really make them stand out. However, Luke said that he thinks country singer Noah might be his frontrunner right now. He said that when he looks at the way Noah "is able to really just humbly connect," he thinks that "American really loves those stories." Noah, a 20-year-old construction worker and father to his 1-year-old son Walker, has no prior experience performing publicly and auditioned for the show when his friend Arthur signed him up.
Luke also offered some advice for the American Idol season 20 Top 5, saying, "At this point, enjoy it. You made Top 5. You're getting the best exposure you could ever wish and want for. And I think you just have to get up there and have fun and pick some songs that really allow you to continue to connect." Luke proved that he understands what makes a great song choice when he tied with Katy to win the Judges' Song Contest earlier in the season. His song selections for the contestants were perfect and really allowed the finalists to showcase their vocals and artistry. They included "Chasin' You" for Mike Parker, "Wonderwall" for Fritz, "9 to 5" for HunterGirl, and "Heartbreak Warfare" for Noah.
Luke's choice of Noah for the frontrunner of American Idol season 20 echoes the thoughts of Noah's fans everywhere. When he battled COVID-19 this past week and was unable to perform on the live stage, he proved that he was a star even when playing from his hotel room. While each of the Top 5 finalists has a great chance to win the competition, Noah's musical style and humble personality matches those of some of the recent winners such as Laine Hardy and Chayce Beckham. Whatever happens, with the support of Luke, Noah is sure to be a great success.
American Idol airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Source: Access Hollywood/Twitter