Louis Knight Captivates with ‘If The World Was Ending’ on ‘American Idol’

American Idol made history on Sunday night (April 26), returning for the first of many live shows broadcasting from the homes of the cast and contestants around the country. Live to tape from 28 states, Sunday night’s episode showcased performances from the Top 20. Making the most of the situation, producers shipped each contestant equipment and had them perform from home alongside the Idol band. The judges, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, as well as host, Ryan Seacrest, and in-house mentor, Bobby Bones, also appeared from their homes.

Louis Knight performed JP Saxe and Julia Michaels’ song “If The World Was Ending,” a track that became a TikTok sensation upon its release. Performing the song from the comfort of his own bedroom in Pennsylvania, Knight showcased his impressive vocals while playing his keyboard.

Each of the judges complimented his performance and vocals.

“Bet you didn’t think at the foot of my bed, I am going to be doing American Idol one day. What I loved about that performance is two things: Great song choice for you, it really gave us a clear glimpse of who you can be as an artist and you really gave us a very very artistic beautifully done performance,” Bryan shared. “I’ve never been more proud of you right now. Great job.”

Richie had nothing but great things to say. “Two things I want to say to you Louis: Number one your voice is stellar, your falsetto was absolutely incredible. The way you carried yourself with that and the second part about, that cry that you have in your voice, that cry that makes it believable was right on point,” he said. “Loved it, love your performance.”

“What a great song choice, and the message of the song, it couldn’t be more on point,” Perry gushed. “I thought that your inflections were cool, I thought that there were some intimate moments, sometimes I could hear you being a little nasally with it, so I would just watch out for leaning into singing from your nose.”

The Top 20 will be narrowed down to the Top 10 come next week. Fans who would like to vote for Louis Knight can vote online or by texting 5 to 21523.