Getty "American Idol" season 20 winner Noah Thompson in September 2022
Noah Thompson had a tough choice to make in the final days of his journey on “American Idol.” He had to select a song he’d release as his debut single if he won season 20, and there were two he had a hard time choosing between. Now fans cans finally hear the one he decided to save for later.
During the grand finale on May 23, 2022, the Kentucky native won “Idol,” receiving more votes than runner-up HunterGirl and third-place contestant Leah Marlene. And though he loved the song he performed and released, he’s “very excited” to finally be releasing the other one as his latest country single.
Noah Thompson Releases New Single, ‘Make You Rich’
At midnight eastern on October 21, Thompson’s record label, BBR Music Group, released his new single — “Make You Rich.” The artwork for the song features a photo of the 20-year-old dad holding hands with his toddler, Walker Lee, whom “American Idol” viewers saw many times during the show when he was an infant.
Thompson shared the album art and link to the song for his fans on social media and shared a story about how the song found him.
“After American Idol ended, my team came to me with the idea of singing on this song, ‘Make You Rich,'” he wrote. “I was very excited about it because during the show I was pitched plenty of songs to use as my single which ended up being, ‘One Day Tonight’.”
One Day Tonight quickly rocketed up the charts, hitting No. 1 on iTunes’ country chart and the all-genre chart. According to BBR, continues to average nearly one million streams per week. It was one of two songs Thompson loved the most of the many he had to choose from.
In his Instagram post, he continued, “I had to make a hard decision between these two songs, I loved the message that, ‘Make You Rich’ gave but I also loved the catchiness to, ‘One Day Tonight’. So that being said, I’m very happy for you all to finally hear this song.”
“I hope you enjoy it, and the message it gives,” he wrote. “This song is not about how much money you make, or the things that you have. It’s about family, friends, being surrounded by your loved ones, all the simplest of things in life that make you happy. Let me know in the comment section what makes you feel rich? Hope you guys enjoy, love y’all.”
In a press release about the new single, Thompson said, “I’m from a small town in Eastern Kentucky and didn’t grow up with much. I’ve learned to value my friends and family so much more than the materialistic things we can have in life. I joke that I’m just a simple guy. I’ve also learned, even when life is tough, the more you give and the more you love, the richer you are, and that is the whole meaning behind ‘Make You Rich.'”
Noah Thompson Hits the Road With HunterGirl & Other ‘Idol’ Fan-Favorites
Now that his third single has been released — following “One Day Tonight” and his cover of Rihanna’s “Stay” — Thompson is getting ready to go on tour with “Idol” runner-up HunterGirl, who he became close friends with during the show. HunterGirl also released a new single on October 21, called “Hometown Out of Me.”
Starting October 27, they’ll perform together on an 11-city tour. Each city will have another “Idol” opening the concert — either rising country stars Grace Lee from season 18 or Laci Kaye Booth from season 17, as the singers alternate dates. Thompson will also co-headline a New Year’s Eve arena concert in Kentucky with country star Chase Matthews.
Though Thompson always dreamed of having a music career, he never imagined his life would turn out the way it has. On October 13, he told Taste of Country Nights host Evan Paul that it’s been a wild ride for a kid who never thought he’d get through auditions to go to Hollywood.
“The judges, everybody knew that I didn’t even expect to get a golden ticket,” he said. “It’s been such a whirlwind, man. Honestly, I don’t know…it’s all played itself out. I know it’s all going the way it’s supposed to, though. Definitely, for some reason, I’m supposed to be doing this, man.”