Kutter Bradley Honors His Dad With Rock-Fueled Daughtry Cover on ‘American Idol’

Now that Kutter Bradley has made it into the Top 20 on American Idol, impressing the judges with his country covers, he decided to tap into his rocker side for his next performance.

Tonight’s episode marked the first of two installments featuring the Top 20 contestants fighting for America’s votes in hopes of advancing to the next round. Bradley took the stage at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaiʻi once again and delivered an epic performance of Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over.”

Prior to revealing a new side of his artistry, the contestant met with mentors Brad Paisley and Keke Palmer, who also served as a guest judge. Speaking with them, he explained he chose this Daughtry classic as a tribute to his dad who introduced him to the rock band early in his life.

“When I was real little, my dad got me a MP3 player and he loaded it with the music he listened to. Everything from Daughtry to old ’70s rock and stuff. I really fell in love with Chris Daughtry and just how he performs and carries himself,” Bradley shared. “Definitely one of my biggest inspirations and I would love to take the path he took.”

The Alabama native was also trying something new this performance. He would be performing without a guitar, which added a new set of nerves for him. Paisley instantly noticed his hesitation and encouraged him to hold the mic so he could practice what to do with his hands on stage.

“I just kept looking at that hand thinking, this is a guy who’s not used to not to doing this. And sure enough, that was true. Guys like me that play the guitar, the first time that they’re like, ‘you’re going to just sing this this evening with a microphone,’ it’s like, ‘what do I do with my hands? I look ridiculous if I don’t really figure out what I’m going to do,’” Paisley pointed out.

Palmer added, “As long as he can do that, I think he’s going to be fine because the voice is there.”

Bradley clearly took their advice to heart, and it paid off the moment he stepped in front of the audience. Moving confidently across the stage, he worked to connect with the crowd while showcasing his impressive vocal range, which earned him enthusiastic applause along the way. During the performance, the camera panned over to his family in the crowd, where his dad could be seen headbanging and singing along to every word.

From the judging panel, Lionel Richie also pointed out that Carrie Underwood was clearly enjoying the moment just as much, noting that she was singing along throughout the entire performance.

“Well, I’ll tell you what I was listening to, Carrie didn’t miss not one note, not one lyric. And between that and your dad head banging, what the heck is going on around here?” Richie joked before sharing his thoughts on the delivery. “You were familiar with that. I got right away that that was in your wheelhouse. You were very, very in pocket and it showed. It showed really great.”

Keke Palmer agreed as she commended him on letting lose on stage.

“Seeing you performing yesterday, it was great. We had the vibe, but with the band and the element going, I could see you just embodying it. And this is definitely your lane, for sure.”

When it was time for Underwood to share her feedback, she declared that he absolutely made the right choice to step outside of his traditional country lane and try something new, but still familiar to him.

“You’re like our country kind of rock guy, and I feel like that song just fit perfectly. I encourage you to just keep getting comfortable, keep entertaining. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”

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Luke Bryan was the final judge to speak on Bradley’s performance. His first piece of advice was to “remember to breathe” and in the end he agreed with each of his fellow judges that this performance was one to remember.  

“There was a couple of times I was like, the boy’s running out of air. But I tell you what’s really endearing about you is you are that guy that’s going to relate to all the dudes. And we’re throwing a lot of different stuff at you,” he admitted. “Keep trusting your gut with the songs that you know and want to perform and you’re getting better and better with every performance. A lot of energy on that one and be very proud of it.”

Viewers have the chance to vote for Bradley by commenting “Kutter” on American Idol’s official voting posts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok or by texting “6” to 21523. Voting closes at 6am ET on March 17. The rules indicate that anyone submitting votes must be 18 and there is a limit of 10 votes per contestant per platform.

Next week, the remaining Top 20 contestants will have their chance to shine on stage for the final night in Hawaii.