WATCH: Luke Bryan Says ‘Only The Strong Survive’ After Noah Thompson and Olivia Faye’s ‘American Idol’ Duet Mishap

ABC’s American Idol returned on Sunday evening with the contestants who made it through Hollywood week. The remaining Idol hopefuls…

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Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

April 4, 2022

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10:07 am

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Noah Thompson, Olivia Faye; Photo by ABC, American Idol

ABC’s American Idol returned on Sunday evening with the contestants who made it through Hollywood week. The remaining Idol hopefuls were paired up together for the exciting duets round. 

Noah Thompson and Olivia Faye, both natives of The Bluegrass State, dubbed their duo “Kentucky Idol” and got to work perfecting their performance. 

“I’ve never sung a duet before in my life,” Thompson admitted.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Noah Thompson (@noahthompsonmusic)

The Kentucky natives went on to perform Noah Cyrus’ “July,” putting each of their unique vocal ranges on full display and even showcasing their falsettos, which viewers had yet to hear from the contestants.

Thompson, wearing a hoodie and jeans, and Faye, donning a hot pink jacket and jeans, belted out the lyrics while flawlessly harmonizing to the Cyrus hit.

In the midst of their performance, Thompson did have a slight mishap where we sang a verse that was meant for Faye, but the pair ultimately powered through. 

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Luke Bryan then offered Thompson some commentary on his performance. 

“Noah, man. It was not your best performance,” Bryan admitted. ”From there, the dominoes kind of fell to start affecting both of you. But these two rounds force you to dig in and fight, and only the strong survive.” 

“But it’s a fight you’re still in. You’re going through to the next round,” Bryan added.

Noah Thompson, Olivia Faye; Photo by ABC, American Idol
Noah Thompson, Olivia Faye; Photo by ABC, American Idol

After finding out their fate from Idol judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, Thompson and Faye were all smiles as they shared a hug and exited the stage.

“I’m shocked right now… I just can’t believe we made it through,” Thompson said.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Noah Thompson (@noahthompsonmusic)

Thompson and Faye both advanced to the next round, which is The Showstopper round.

The Showstopper round will find the contestant taking the stage for the first time with a full band. According to an Idol press release, Idol hopefuls will sing for their last chance to make it in the Top 24.

American Idol returns with another round of duets on Monday evening (April 4).

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Lauren Jo Black

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.