Colin Stough is American Idol Underdog Who Just Won't Quit: What's His Secret?

Season 21 of the reality competition show American Idol has once again delighted viewers with lots of talented new artists.

Even those who were eliminated are great performers, and many of them certainly have stellar careers ahead of them.

However, fans can't help but wonder — how is it that some singers who didn't seem to have much of a chance make it further into the show, while brighter artists get booted out? A good example is Colin Stough, who has been supported by the judges throughout the season, but the audience doesn't seem to appreciate him just as much.

The 18-year-old country singer from Amory, Mississippi, made it into the Top 5 in the most recent episode, beating out Warren Peay and Oliver Steele. Some fans of American Idol weren't exactly on board with the judges' choice this time.

'Warren had me at the auditions. And I am not a country listener. I loved his voice and soulfulness,' one Reddit user said.

Many have mentioned two important factors that may have influenced the judges' decision — the popularity of country music throughout the US and Stough's vibrant personality, which makes his stage presence more powerful and admirable.

'For the genre he is in, he's not bad at all. I think some people gotta accept that country is a very popular genre in the USA,' a fan explained.

It is worth noting that the contestant’s most popular performance was an acoustic cover of the song 'Dancing on My Own' by Swedish pop singer Robyn. Colin's unique rendition of the song with a special country flavor was praised by all the judges, and even Luke Bryan came on stage to hug him.

Of course, not all viewers are happy with the show's bias towards country music. In the last two seasons, country singers Chayce Beckham and Noah Thompson won the competition, and fans are worried the situation may repeat this year too. However, people agree that Colin is still very different from the previous seasons' winners.

'I think he's better than Noah [Thompson] and he's attractive and young with a good backstory,' another fan added.

Colin lives in his grandmother's house with his mother and stepfather. Their family is far from wealthy, and the singer had a troubled childhood because his biological father was a heavy drinker. All in all, Colin comes across as a likable person, and people can easily relate to him, which is just another reason why his fandom keeps growing.

Though it's still unlikely Colin Stough will win American Idol this season, fans are sure that he has a great future ahead. We'll see more of him and the rest of the Top 5 in the show's next episode, which will air on Sunday, May 14.

Source: Reddit.