It’s a mistake pretty much every professional musician has made in their career, but when the spotlight is on you, it can feel devastating.
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American Idol contestant Hunter Metts made it into the top 12 and performed the Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová song “Falling Slowly” from the movie Once. Metts proved why he made it this far in the show with an incredible rendition of the song, but had a minor slip up in the end when he fumbled some of the final words.
Visibly upset, Metts broke down in tears afterwards as he stepped away from the mic and turned around to hide his frustration.
Immediately, the judges and host Ryan Seacrest began to offer their support and console Metts. “I know you're upset. But that happens in a live performance,” Seacrest said. “They're going to tell you it's happened to them before.”
“Hunter, that was the best performance you've ever given," Katy Perry said. "Perfection is an illusion. It's an illusion. It doesn't matter. That shows that you are human and vulnerable. And everybody relates to that. And it's amazing. It's emotion, that's what music is. It's a lot of pressure, but it's not about perfection, it's about resonating with people, and you just did."
"Hunter, you connected with us. You kept your eyes and heart open. You were so connected that you forgot where you were. And that is perfect,” she added.
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“I don't even know what happened at the end, but listen -- I didn't care. You did no wrong. You could do no wrong in that moment,” Luke Bryan, who made his return to the judges seat after testing positive for COVID-19, told Metts.
Lionel Richie consoled Metts and told him about the time he forgot the lyrics to “Hello,” one of his most popular songs, during a live show. "I thought it was the worst night of my life. The crowd loved it," Richie said.
In a virtual Q&A after the show, Richie said that Metts’ emotions and vulnerability was “the greatest part of the show.”
"He forgot the lyrics and showed some emotion. If he never sang another note and just started crying for the rest of the song, it still wins. It just works,” he said.
Metts will remember the evening fondly though as he ended up moving on to the Top 9 and will continue his quest towards becoming the next American Idol.
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