Colin Stough of ‘American Idol’ Performs on Live With Kelly & Mark

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A week removed from the conclusion of “American Idol” season 21, Colin Stough remains in the spotlight after finishing in third place. The 18-year-old performed on “Live With Kelly and Mark” after being chosen by the fans as the winner of the “American Idol” Encore contest. There were five other finalists in contention: Oliver Steele, Warren Peay, Haven Madison, We Ani, and Zachariah Smith.

Season 21 saw Iam Tongi take home the crown as the winner with Megan Danielle as the runner-up. Both of them already had appeared on “Live With Kelly and Mark.” Stough joins Cade Foehner, Madison Vandenburg, Julia Gargano, Grace Kinstler, and Fritz Hager as the past winners of the Encore vote since the contest began.

Colin Stough Sang ‘I Still Talk to Jesus’

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos welcomed Stough, who told them it was his first time in New York City, onto the stage and introduced his latest single, “I Still Talk To Jesus.” The single was released on May 19. He posted an official visualizer on his YouTube account that has more than 241,000 views as of May 30, 2023.

Stough was joined in the appearance by “American Idol” house musician and the guitarist for this performance, Phredley Brown.

On his TikTok account, he shared the meaning behind the song after mentioning how the fans had requested to learn more about the backstory. He said he still gets “a loss of words” when talking about the song’s meaning.

“It really means to me just finding that ear that will listen,” he said in the TikTok video. “Sometimes it’s the ear you can see and other times it’s the ear you cannot [see]. It really hits me deep down in the heart and it definitely is a great tune.”

He continued, “I think the overall message of this song is just don’t give up, especially in this generation. It’s really, really hard and just keep going and still go out and find people you can talk to. It’s just a reminder you always have that one source.”

Stough said he hopes the song’s message reminds people that they’re not alone.

Fans Show Their Support for Colin Stough After His Appearance

Following Stough’s performance of “I Still Talk to Jesus,” fans of his took to Twitter to voice their appreciation for him. One fan wrote, “Great performance! I voted for Colin and Iam for last standing on American Idol. Can’t wait for more music from these two.”

Another Stough support added in a tweet, “Woohoo! I get to see Colin Stough on Kelly and Mark this morning, and Chapel Hart on Tamron Hall this afternoon… all from Mississippi!!”

When Stough was revealed to have won the Encore vote, many of his fans shared their elation then. He posted a video on Instagram in which he gave his thoughts on being chosen, writing in the caption that, “This song really hits me hard and I’m thankful for the opportunity to sing it live on TV.”

His comments quickly flooded with support. One follower wrote, “Your fan base is as big as it is because you’re super talented, humble to the core and I personally love the way you talk.” Another fan expressed that this is just the start for him, “American Idol was barely the beginning for you Colin, can’t wait to see what’s next for you.”