Luke Bryan Encourages Hunter Metts To Take a Risk On ‘American Idol’ — And It Pays Off

American Idol returned to ABC on Monday evening (March 29) for the Showstopper/ Final Judgement Round and standout contestant Hunter…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

March 29, 2021

9:06 pm

Hunter Metts, Luke Bryan

American Idol returned to ABC on Monday evening (March 29) for the Showstopper/ Final Judgement Round and standout contestant Hunter Metts took the stage for a chance to earn a spot in the Top 24.

Things got emotional prior to his performance as he came face-to-face with Idol judges Katy Perry and Luke Bryan to discuss his time on the show and what’s next for him.

“This might be the biggest moment of my life… cause I really want it,” the 22-year-old shared as his emotional backstory aired.

Metts then met with in-house mentor Bobby Bones to chat about his insecurities as Metts admitted he was scared that he was not good enough to advance in the competition.

All nerves aside, Metts took the stage to perform an acoustic Noah Cyrus’ “July.”

“In your audition, you were flying high, some things happened, we wondered where our Hunter was. What we arrived at the conclusion that no one else sounds like you and if we’re leaning on you and pushing you, it’s because that’s our job,” Bryan told Metts following his performance.

“Don’t get caught up in the noise and everything around you. You are definitely in our Top 24,” Bryan added. “Stay you and keep pushing, cause it worked.”

Metts tearfully thanked the judges for advancing him to the Top 24.

Click above to re-live his performance.

American Idol returns to ABC next Sunday and Monday at 8/7 c for the celebrity duets round.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.