‘American Idol': Caleb Lee Hutchinson Teases That Carrie Underwood Covers Show ‘New Sides of Me’
As Top 5 American Idol contender Caleb Lee Hutchinson looks forward to tearing into two new tunes on the singing competition show Sunday (May 13), he admits he is still trying to come to grips that he has been given the chance to work with one of his musical idols, Carrie Underwood.
"Carrie (Underwood) is one of the most successful people to come out of (American) Idol,” Hutchinson says in an interview with Taste of Country about the country powerhouse, who is serving as a musical mentor to the contestants this week. "I have grown up with her in the spotlight for the last 10 years, so meeting her (this week) has been crazy. She is a giant to me and is so powerful and is so successful, so just to have her mentoring us is unbelievable."
The Top 5 contestants were flown to Nashville this week to work with Underwood — an announcement made on the May 6 show. "When they announced on Sunday’s show that we were going to Nashville, they panned to my face because I think they knew that I would have quite the reaction," Hutchinson acknowledges, laughing. "It's been super exciting as the last country boy in this thing."
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While Hutchinson can't reveal which songs he will perform on Sunday's (May 13) episode, he can confirm that he and his fellow Top 5 contestants will be singing Underwood classics. "We have had amazing mentors before, but we haven't been able to sing songs to the person who made them famous," he remarks. "It’s such a cool opportunity to ask questions about the songs that she knows so well. I can tell you both of my songs are showing whole new sides of me."
The hopeful feels confident heading into a new week on Idol, but he still needs his fans — his Hutchpuppies — behind him as the remaining contestants dwindle. "It's cool to just still be here," Hutchinson admits. "Before this show, a lot of doors just weren’t opening for me. So with this success, it’s just making me work harder, but of course everyone still needs to keep voting. I mean, we got this far. Let’s bring it home!"
No matter what happens, Hutchinson says he's thrilled that he'll be going out on an American Idol tour with his musical comrades. "The tour was such a surprise to me," he says. "I just about jumped out of my shirt. The chance to not only travel the country with six of my best friends but also play music with them is so exciting."
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