During the Sunday, May 10 episode of “American Idol,” host Ryan Seacrest announced that Arthur Gunn was one of the Top 7 contestants still in the running to join the reality TV show’s iconic winners list. This 21-year-old performed “Kiss the Girl” (“The Little Mermaid”) from home in Wichita, Kansas as viewers and judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie watched remotely from locations around the country. If you want Arthur to make it into next week’s Season 18 finale, you need to vote before the cutoff time at 9am ET/6am PT on Monday, May 11.
You can cast up to 30 votes for Arthur Gunn’s Disney night performance across three different platforms: 10 votes on the “American Idol” app, 10 votes online at americanidol.com/vote or 10 votes via text messages (text the number “16” to 21523). Message and data rates may apply for app download and usage. Voting is open RIGHT NOW, so what are you waiting for?
Arthur looked “relaxed” and “cool,” raved Katy while donning her hilarious Mrs. Jumbo (“Dumbo”) outfit in honor of Disney night. She added that he really “engaged” with the audience this week. Luke noted how he loved watching Arthur transition from a “soft-spoken quiet guy” to a “potentially massive recording artist.” Finally, Lionel proclaimed that he puts his “Arthur Gunn stamp” on everything he sings, adding, “I’m so proud of you.”
In his “American Idol” live blog, our recapper Denton Davidson had this to say about the performance: “After the nationwide vote, the first person into the Top 7 is Arthur Gunn! He’ll be singing a rendition of ‘Kiss the Girl’ from ‘The Little Mermaid,’ which he chooses to sing in an alternative rock style rather than a predictable reggae version we might expect. His gritty vocals work well on this song, but it’s not exactly magical. I think his fan base will appreciate it enough to vote him through to the finale.”
Arthur previously sang “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” at his initial audition, “Is This Love” in the Hawaii showcase round, “Lovin’ Machine” in the Top 20 and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in the Top 11. What’s been your favorite Arthur performance so far on “American Idol” Season 18? Sound off down in the comments section.
