'American Idol’: Noah Thompson Delivers Emotional 'Cover Me Up'

If fans don’t remember Noah Thompson’s Top 14 performance on American Idol in the future, he sure will.

The country singer and former construction worker from Kentucky celebrated his 20th birthday on the latest episode of the reality TV sing-off competition, which aired on Monday night (April 18). That’s not all he celebrated, though. During the two-hour telecast, long-running Idol host Ryan Seacrest revealed that Thompson was safe from elimination.

To cement his place in the Top 14, Thompson powered through a heartfelt rendition of Jason Isbell’s original song “Cover Me Up,” made famous by Morgan Wallen. He leaned into his emotional side for the performance, strumming on guitar and flaunting his gritty vocals while backed by a full band.

Thompson’s latest song choice served as somewhat of a surprise for viewers, as he has taken the approach of turning pop songs into country songs for his previous performances. For his Top 20 performance, he put his southern twang on Harry Styles’ “Falling.” Before that, he delivered a solid version of “Stay” by Rihanna. Nonetheless, his “Cover Me Up” debut was strong enough to earn plenty of cheers from the live studio audience and judges, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

Since beginning his journey on Season 20 of American Idol, Thompson has shared that his son, Walker, is his motivation for pursuing his dreams. In recent episodes, he told viewers that he is vying for the win because he wants a better life for his child and doesn’t want to feel like he has to struggle to support his baby boy.

Thompson is currently in the running for the grand prize with fellow Top 14 contenders Emyrson Flora, Mike Parker, Tristen Gressett, Jay, Nicolina, Dan Marshall, Ava Maybee, Allegra Miles, HunterGirl, Leah Marlene, Christian Guardino, Lady K and Fritz Hager. The two-hour telecast marked the end of the road for Jacob Moran, Sage McNeely, Elli Rowe, Katyrah Love, Cameron Whitcomb, and Cadence Baker.

American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays on ABC.

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Filed Under: American Idol