Hunter Metts, an “American Idol” contestant who the judges rated as one of the top 10 shoo-ins, once again stole everyone’s hearts with his powerful take on the Irish film’s “Falling Slowly” “Ounce”.
Even through minor trial and error in the lyrics, the famous judges were so impressed with Hunter’s honest storytelling that the singer almost guaranteed an automatic entry into the next stage of the competition!
In the true raw fashion of the song, the former software engineer began his performance with only his voice and the sound of his guitar, instantly capturing the audience’s full attention.
As the music intensified, Hunter continued to charm the room with his easy-going folk vocals and unassuming charisma. By the end of his performance, Hunter remained so engrossed in his message that, largely unbeknownst to the crowd, he missed some lyrics. .
Coupled with the song’s emotional journey, the minor slippage made her cry. Fortunately, the judges were quick to intervene and reassure.
“Hunter this is the best performance you’ve ever given,” Katy Perry said. “Perfection is an illusion. … This [performance] shows that you are human and vulnerable.
As Hunter continued to battle his own disappointment, the empathetic judges dug deeper with their words of encouragement.
“It’s not about perfection, it’s about resonating with people. And you just did, ”Perry added. “You were so connected you forgot where you were – and that’s perfect.”
Lionel Richie stepped in to add his own words of comfort, explaining that he was once in the same headspace when he forgot the lyrics to his beloved song “Hello”. But, he stressed, this is when his audience connects to him the most!
“I don’t even know what happened at the end, but listen, I didn’t care. You didn’t do anything wrong, you couldn’t do anything wrong then,” said Luke Bryan “These falsettos were some of the best things I’ve ever heard since sitting in that chair at ‘American Idol’.”
