That final audition for “American Idol,” the one that determines which hopefuls will actually compete on the ABC television show, doesn’t provide second chances.
Thunderstorm Artis, 29, who was born and raised in Hawaii and now lives in Nashville, Tenn., weighed the options and decided to go with an original, “Don’t Let Me Let You Go,” for his audition for “Idol” judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood — and received standing ovations from all three, along with a “golden ticket” to the competition in Hollywood.
“The audition is seeing if the judges see something special. This round is me competing against other people to see if I have what it takes to stay on the show,” Artis said Thursday by phone.
Showing the judges “something special” was what his Season 23 audition performance was all about.
“I really wanted to show my artistry because I believe that I have something really special to offer, not just as a performer but as a songwriter,” Artis said. “Doing an original song with a special story attached to it, showed who Thunderstorm Artis is and that I had something special to offer.”
The show’s “Hollywood Week” competition starts Monday, broadcast locally at 7 p.m. on KITV.
Hawaii performers have a strong track record with “American Idol.” Previous contestants Jordan Segundo, Camile Velasco and Jasmine Trias all hailed from the islands — not to mention Season 21 winner Iam Tongi, the first Pacific Islander to win the competition.
Artis is no stranger to the kind of pressure involved in high-stakes singing competitions. He was a finalist on Season 18 of NBC’s “The Voice,” finishing in third place behind runner-up Toneisha Harris and winner Todd Tilghman.
He said his choice of attire for his “Idol” audition — black overalls, a colorful sweater and white baseball cap worn backward — was his visual statement.
“Sweaters and overalls is just something I love to wear every once in a while,” he said, explaining the nuances of his audition clothing. “I wanted to remind myself to kind of sit in the moment and be there and feel like that’s where I deserve to be.”
His guitar, bearing the names of countless friends, was another reminder of who he is and where he comes from.
“Everyone who was supporting my journey, from when I was starting on TikTok, I started to add their names to my guitar, and then it became such a fun thing that I started to add friends and family to my guitar,” said Artis, who has two young children with his wife, Faith. “Being able to take it on ‘Idol’ was like almost being able to take them with me on that stage and in that moment, which I thought was really special.”
That original song, “Don’t Let Me Let You Go,” comes straight from his heart.
“I started writing music and singing music as a form of therapy. When I realized that my therapy can be therapy for others, it was something I had to do because as artists it is really our job to be able to take an emotion that everyone feels but might not know how to put into words, and really put it into words and simplify it,” Artis said. “Then when someone hears that song, it’s what they’ve been feeling for years but never known how to articulate it.
“At the same time, it’s also a part of my story. It’s a part of my journey and the hardship that I face, but also the duty that me and my wife have found to press through. Not every day that you’re in a relationship is great, but it’s because you have the hard days that make the great days even better. One of the best quotes I got from my dad was that, ‘If you want to write good music, you have to live life, and you have to really have something to talk about.’”
Artis had these words of encouragement for anyone who dreams of competing on “American Idol”: “Dream big, take chances. You never know what’s on the other side of the door if you chose to walk through it.”
