Luke Bryan Blown Away By Phil Kane After Performance Of Original Country Song On ‘Idol’
“People don’t have it and people got it. And you got it,” Bryan gushed.
Luke Bryan, Phil Kane; Photo by ABC, American Idol
Philip “Phil” Kane is chasing his musical dreams on American Idol and hopes that his songwriting skills will help his standout amongst the competition throughout Season 21.
Kane is 18 years old and hails from Pawhuska, Oklahoma but resides in Nashville as a student at Belmont University. He says he spends his time writing about “dirt roads” and “girls.”
Host Ryan Seacrest questioned, “In that order?
Songwriting Student
”Oh, sometimes. I mean, I guess you’ll hear in the song I’m about to play. It’s about pretty much in that order,” Kane replied.
Kane showcased his songwriting skills with an original song titled, “Osage County.” He performed the tun while seated behind a white grand piano.
As he sang the lyrics, the Idol judges watched on, bobbing their heads along to the beat.
At the conclusion of the song, all three judges stood to applaud Phil Kane’s standout audition.
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“The country Jackson Brown,” Luke Bryan exclaimed. “You got it done there big boy.”
Kane humbly and graciously thanked the judges for the standing ovation and their kind words. “Thank you guys, oh my gosh,” Kane said with a big smile on his face.
Katy Perry went on to praise the Belmont student’s storytelling abilities.
“The moment you started playing the piano, your choices on the piano gave me chills,” Perry said. ”And then the storytelling of your song. I believed every single word. It was just so real and I really related to it. I, I’m not even from your little town, but I want to go and visit now. Osage County, I’m coming. I’m buying a shirt. It’s just authenticity will get you so far….not about notes. It’s about telling a story, isn’t it Lionel Richie?”
Authenticity
Lionel Richie had nothing but kind words to share.
“So Phil, I’m going to tell you something. Songwriter to songwriter. [You] Checked all the boxes,” he explained. “Your parallels were perfect, your hook was perfect, your storytelling voice was perfect. And the fact that you wrote that, my friend, at 18 years old, give me a break.”
“I actually wrote it when I was 16 years old. That’s the first song I ever wrote,” Kane said, clarifying when he wrote the tune.
“I got to tell you, honestly, that was dead on the money,” Richie responded. “We know who your character is. We know exactly what your sound is. That was brilliant what you just did.”
A Golden Ticket
“People don’t have it and people got it. And you got it,” Bryan gushed. “Great job!”
Before the judges revealed Kane’s fate in the competition, they shared a few final words.
“If you go to this shiny place called Hollywood. Don’t try and compete with everyone else. Just try and highlight who you already are. Don’t try and be something you’re not, because that’s how you’ll not win,” Perry told him.
“Be authentic,” Richie added.
Referring to season 20 winner, Noah Thompson, Bryan said, “Our winner last year was the simplest, most understated person in the competition because people believed him.”
Ultimately, Phil Kane earned three ‘yeses’ from the Idol judges and a golden ticket to advance to Hollywood.
American Idol airs every Sunday at 8/7c on ABC.
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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