The Mississippi Native Commanded The Stage As He Sang, “She Laid Her Heart And Soul Right In Your Hands.” A Longtime Fan Of Keith Urban, Stough Was Ecstatic To Discover That Urban Would Be Serving As A Guest Mentor, Making The Moment Even More Special For Him

Colin Stough; Photo Courtesy of American Idol

Colin Stough’s American Idol journey came to an end on Sunday (May 21) after he covered Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy” during the season 21 finale of American Idol.

Stough, who is a longtime fan of Keith Urban, was thrilled to learn that Urban was a guest mentor.

“By far my favorite mentor we’ve had… This is someone who I grew up to listening to his music.” he excitedly shared.

Colin Stough took the stage with his electric guitar in hand. Wearing a cowboy hat, a white western-style shirt and a brown vest, the Mississippi native owned the stage as he sang, “She laid her heart and soul right in your hands/ And you stole her every dream and you crushed her plans/ She never even knew she had a choice/ And that’s what happens when the only voice she hears is telling her she can’t/ Stupid boy/ Stupid boy, oh.”

Watch Colin Stough Cover Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy” Below

“Kudos To You Buddy,” Luke Bryan Told Stough

Following Colin Stough’s performance, Luke Bryan took a moment to reflect on Stough’s Idol journey.

“Colin, you being you baby, you being you, it’s been a pleasure just seeing how you’ve navigated this competition and how you’ve grown. You’ve developed into your artistic look and your style,” he told him. “You got moments where you look gritty and you’ve got moment where you tender it up and sing softer and sing louder. So man, you’ve just come so far from the kid that walked in at auditions and kudos to you buddy, kudos.”

Colin Stough, Megan Danielle, Iam Tongi; Photo Courtesy of American Idol

“We Are Very Proud Of You”

Lionel Richie also praised Stough’s growth.

“I remember when you first came in and you went through the first half of the competition, you said ‘who me?’ and I’m saying ‘yes, you’ and then as time goes on… Now, you’ve got a little attitude about yourself and you’re singing love songs and the girls are screaming. All I want you to know is enjoy the ride, we are very proud of you,” he shared.

Katy Perry referenced Stough’s role as a former HVAC repair main when it was her turn to speak.

“Well that was tenderoni pepperoni… it was so sweet Colin,” she said. “I think when we met you, you were doing HVAC, you know making sure, keeping it cool and stuff… I feel like when you were here with us in the very beginning you were at like 10% and now I think you’re at like 60-70%. You hear when you give them a twirl how they react… When you hit 100% out in the real world, watch out buddy it’s gonna be hot and you’re going to need your own air conditioning.”

Keith Urban, Colin Stough; Photo Courtesy of American Idol

Perform Chris Stapleton Cover

He later returned to the stage to perform a cover of Chris Stapleton’s “Either Way.”

“What I love about you is you are so much better than I originally thought you were,” Luke Bryan admitted. “The reason that made me go that way is your ability to that with you and your guitar. When you can do that, you’ve got it kicked in the rear buddy. You’ve got it. Just love seeing you grow buddy, congratulations, great performance.”

“I loved what you just gave us. I think that is your sweet spot when you can just bring everybody in and sing to them like they’re the only people in the room. You just play like you play and then you just give them that grit like you know how to do it,” Katy Perry said.

Colin Stough’s Fate Revealed

The fast-rising country singer’s fate was revealed in the midst, when host Ryan Seacrest announced the Top 2 as Iam Tongi and Megan Danielle.

Colin Stough, Megan Danielle, Iam Tongi; Photo Courtesy of American Idol/ABC

A Standout Idol Contestant

Colin Stough auditioned for American Idol with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.”

After his audition, Colin Stough went on to sing songs such as “Cold” by Chris Stapleton, “Midnight Train To Memphis” by The SteelDrivers, “Pretty Heart” by Parker McCollum, “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn, “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers, “It’s Been While” by Staind, “Hand In My Pocket” by Alanis Morissette and more.

His debut single, “I Still Talk To Jesus,” is out now.