Judge Carrie Underwood told McCullough that his voice was “truly blessed” and one of the best that she has heard but that he also conveys a high degree of maturity in his delivery. “I don’t care what you sing, every time you open your mouth, I hear the Holy Spirit,” she said.
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McCullough shared that his performance of Raitt’s song was the “most vulnerable” he has been this season and that he wanted to “show the world [his] heart.”
Contestant Chris Tungseth performed “Exile” by Taylor Swift (feat. Bon Iver) and then Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” The judges gave him high praise for both performances. During the “Songs of Faith” episode, Tungseth performed “By His Grace” by Cody Johnson. He told Seacrest he had people all over the world “shooting me texts and sending me Bible verses and love, and I just feel so blessed, and the Holy Spirit was here tonight.”
Monday night, Tungseth said that as “pressure continues to grow, you just have to continue to remain who you are and trust that the people at home that have fallen in love with you are the people that are gonna carry you through.”
Gretchen Ronnevik, author of “Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted,” has been posting about Tungseth on X, referring to him as “our pastor’s son.”
“Some of us were chatting about him after church,” she posted April 26. “We’re praying for him, and his heart just being thrown into this world of fame. We are hearing there’s actually a strong group of Christians among the finalists, and their friendship has been sweet.”
“We all think Chris could go further, but at the same time, he doesn’t need it,” Ronnevik said. “His identity isn’t in it. He’s just enjoying meeting new people and going where God puts him. Should he not make the next round, he’ll just do the next thing.”
In his audition for “American Idol,” Tungseth shared that his father had passed away from leukemia. The singer performed his original song “Lonely Road” in his father’s honor.
“You have a ministry,” Richie told him at the time. Bryan said, “I think you’re gonna go really high in this competition.”
