‘Idol’ Finalist Colin Stough Leans On His Faith Through A Breakup In Debut Single, ‘I Still Talk To Jesus’
Stough says the overarching message of the song is simply, “don’t give up.”
Colin Stough; Photo by ABC/Eric McCandless
Colin Stough grapples with a breakup in his debut single, “I Still Talk To Jesus,” released on Friday (May 19).
Co-written by Francisco Martin and Hank Compton, “I Still Talk To Jesus” finds the American Idol finalist leaning on his faith in the midst of a breakup. As he faces the intense loneliness in the aftermath of a love gone wrong, Stough turns to his relationship with Jesus to help him navigate this difficult time in his life.
A Powerful Song
“I still believe in the things that I make in my head / I still believe every word that you said / I know I’m better off without you / But I hate knowin’ it’s the same for you / I tell myself that I still need it / I just want something to believe in / I still talk to Jesus,” Stough sings on the tune’s chorus.
Listen
The tune, which released on Friday (May 19), was produced by DeStefano at The Sound Factory.
“Being able to record my own song. Man, it makes me feel really grateful. It’s definitely a phase in life I never thought I’d be able to see or be able to get to and now we’re here,” Stough shared.
Stough, who was previously dubbed “the Brad Pitt of country music” by Katy Perry, opened up about the song in a video on social media.
“Don’t Give Up”
“It really means to me about just finding that ear that’ll listen. Sometimes, whether it’s a ear you can see or is one you can not can always talk to Jesus, and it really hits me deep down in the heart,” he explained.
Stough says the overarching message of the song is simply, “don’t give up.”
“Especially in this generation, in this world, it’s really, really hard to keep going and still be able to find people that you can’t talk to. And it’s just a reminder that you always have that one source that’s always easy,” he acknowledged. “I want my listeners, whenever they listen to this song, I want ’em to feel that they’re not alone. That there are more people in the world out there that feel the same way you do, if not in the exact same way you do, or even worse than you do.”
The single comes just days after Colin Stough earned a spot in the Top 3 on American Idol alongside Iam Tongi and Megan Danielle.
“WOW. Tonight was truly a magical experience on #DisneyNight. I made it to the #TOP3 of @AmericanIdol and I’m headed to the finale! Thank you so much for your support and votes!” Stough shared after earning a spot in the Idol finale.
Colin Stough, a aspiring musician and horseback rider from Mississippi, has been a standout contestant on American Idol since he auditioned on for the show with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.”
At the time of his audition, Stough admitted, “this competition man, it could change my life.”
Re-Live His Audition
The Idol judges and America immediately fell in love with Stough’s impressive country vocals after hearing him sing “Simple Man.”
“Colin, you’ve got the magic in you… 100% and you got the stardust,” Katy Perry gushed, while Luke Bryan admitted, “that’s what American Idol is about, right there! I love it!”
Bryan later added, “[Colin is] exactly what we hope and dream for at American Idol.”
After his audition, Colin Stough went on to sing songs such as “Cold” by Chris Stapleton, “Midnight Train To Memphis” by The SteelDrivers, “Pretty Heart” by Parker McCollum, “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn, “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers, “It’s Been While” by Staind, “Hand In My Pocket” by Alanis Morissette and more.
Most recently, Colin Stough took to the American Idol stage during Disney night to cover Sheryl Crow’s “Real Gone” from the Cars’ soundtrack, a performance that served as a tribute to his mom, Nara, in honor of Mother’s Day.
Stand-Out Performances
“So for this round I’m actually singing ‘Real Gone’ by Sheryl Crow and it’s actually in my favorite movie, Cars. Growing up I just always watched Cars and I mean, I still do. I probably watched the movie twice a month,” he revealed at the time. “I connect to the lyrics of the song. There’s one line ‘mama taught me wrong from right’ that’s a standout line to me.”
“My relationship with my mom means everything. It means even more that she got to come out to Disneyland with me and enjoy this,” he added.
He also performed “Nobody Knows” from the Disney film, Pete’s Dragon.
Both of his performances earned praise from the Idol judges, who also offered the singer a standing ovation.
“We’ve been wanting you to get real comfortable all year and I didn’t realize that a Cars’ song was going to get you that pumped. That’s the most you really let loose, had fun… great song choice,” Luke Bryan said.
Confidence
Lionel Richie complimented his newfound confidence, “I mean it when I say this, the comfort zone was perfect, your attitude and more importantly I think your confidence… your confidence was sitting right out here so we could all see it.”
Katy Perry told Colin Stough she thought he “sounded great” and gushed over his showmanship.
“Colin, you came out looking like an electric guitar and you started behind the microphone stand and I was like ‘please God, just let him get out of that’ and you did. You did, you took that risk. You finally did exactly what we’ve been wanting and it looked so good on you.”
Finale
Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle and Colin Stough will face off for the title of American Idol champion during the three-hour season finale of American Idol on Sunday, May 21 at 8 pm ET.
Live from Hollywood, the finale will feature performances by the judges, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie, as well as guest performers Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, Ellie Goulding, James Blunt, Jazmine Sullivan, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban (who is also mentoring Top 3), Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon, Kylie Minogue, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Daigle, Pitbull, and TLC.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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