When his father died, he embraced music. Now this singer is in the ‘American Idol' top 8
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Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
After surviving a series of brutal cuts on 'American Idol' — more than half of the entire competition was eliminated in one of the early rounds — making the show's top 24 lands you a trip to Hawaii, where contestants get to perform with a full band at the Aulani Disney resort.
For Thunderstorm Artis, it was essentially a hometown show.
The 29-year-old singer-songwriter hails from a large musical family — one of 11 kids — on the North Shore of Oahu, about a 25-30-minute drive from where he was performing.
As he sang Bob Marley's 'Is This Love' on the outdoor stage, smiling wide while strumming his acoustic guitar, the camera panned out to the audience. So many people from his childhood, including friends and pastors, came to hear him sing. The camera showed his mom, sisters and, of course, Faith, his wife of five years who was beaming with pride at her husband while holding their now 7-month-old son.
Right across the street from the Disney resort was the restaurant Monkeypod Kitchen, where Artis used to perform with his brother every Sunday night for anyone who would listen.
Now, to be on the other side of the street, performing on a stage in front of 'Idol' judges and superstars Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan — not to mention his friends, family and the millions of viewers tuning in from home — was truly surreal.
Artis did everything in his power not to cry on stage, but he was really emotional. The minute he left the stage, he let it all wash over him.
'As an artist, one of the things that I've strived for for so long is to be in front of an audience that is genuinely there and excited to see me do the thing that I'm doing on stage,' Artis, who now resides in Nashville, recently told the Deseret News. 'This has been a dream of mine for so long, to be able to come back home and do something of this magnitude.'
It was a full-circle moment for Artis, one of those moments that validates the path he's long pursued.
Not that he really needs the validation.
Artis has known for a while that music is what he's supposed to be doing, a calling of sorts, because he once got a glimpse of what his life would be like without it.
So he shares his music everywhere he can.
That's taken him to 'The Voice,' where he was a finalist and placed third on Season 18 in 2020. It has put him on tour with big artists including Train and the Zac Brown Band, and led to his own headlining shows at venues like The State Room in Salt Lake City.
Now, somewhat to his surprise, it's brought him to 'American Idol,' where he's currently in the top eight.
Thunderstorm Artis performs during the Hollywood Week round of "American Idol." | Eric McCandless
'I don't think I was given the gift of music for myself'
'American Idol' is the latest chapter in Artis' pursuit of a music career, but his love of music formed long before his appearance on any reality competition show.
It was a given in his home.
His father, Ron Artis, was a session musician who played keys on Michael Jackson's 'Thriller.' His mom, Victoria, toured as a backup vocalist with Lena Horne, per a bio on eddiesattic.com.
But his parents didn't demand that their kids follow in their footsteps.
'The beautiful thing that our parents really enabled us to do was to dream — I think that was one of the most powerful things,' Artis said. 'Even though we didn't have much finances or anything, they were just kind of like, it's important to dream and to have something that you want to do, and so we were able to kind of dabble in a lot of different things.'
Artis has other interests — pickleball, video games and martial arts, to name a few — but after his father died from a heart attack, he felt more inspired to embrace music.
And when he dropped music around the age of 17 or 18 to work at Jerry's Pizza Mill in Waialua, to help out with his family's finances, he knew after a year that he couldn't let go of it ever again.
'I just felt like there was a hole in my heart and my soul, and I realized that music was more than something that I did, it was a part of who I was,' he said. 'It was also a vehicle to carry a message that I needed to share with the world.
'I don't think I was given the gift of music for myself,' he continued. 'I think I was given it for others.'
A few years later, with that conviction, Artis found himself on 'The Voice.'
Thunderstorm Artis becomes a finalist on 'The Voice'
He had an impressive run on the show, making it all the way to the finale and placing third.
But his 2020 season was affected by COVID — in an unprecedented move, the show actually switched gears partway through the season to film remotely. After 'The Voice,' with the music industry virtually shut down, it was hard for Artis to gain momentum.
The singer worked hard to get original music out there — something he didn't really have at the time of 'The Voice.'
His song, 'Stronger,' was featured on the Season 19 premiere of 'Grey's Anatomy' (the version has been streamed more than 14 million times on Spotify). He opened for Train in the summer of 2023 (including a show at Salt Lake's Red Butte Garden) and the Zac Brown Band later that year (including a show at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre).
He went on his own tour last year and is working hard to grow his audience so he can keep touring his favorite cities — Salt Lake City included.
'Utah is very close to my heart,' he said. 'I try to get there whenever I can.'
Thunderstorm Artis performs during the top 24 round of "American Idol." | Eric McCandless
After 'The Voice,' Artis never thought he'd do another reality competition show. But 'American Idol' had reached out to him a handful of times, and finally, with some persuasion from a casting producer and the support of his wife, he decided to give it a chance.
'If God opens the door, this is something that I just have to step through,' Artis said. 'I don't need to know what's on the other side of it. I just need to step through it and try, and maybe this will help with the exposure that I've been trying to get in my music.'
And his time on 'American Idol' has been valuable — especially because it has allowed Artis to showcase a different side of his artistry and life than viewers got to see on 'The Voice.'
Balancing family life on 'American Idol'
'I feel like I'm a completely different human being than I was on 'The Voice,'' Artis said.
That's because a lot has changed for the singer in the five years since he competed on the show. He recently celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary on April 10 — he met his wife while he was filming 'The Voice' — and he has two kids now.
On 'The Voice,' his storyline was more about how music has been a source of healing, helping him to cope with the death of his father. On 'Idol,' the focus has been more on him being a father — and inspiring his own kids through music.
And while he hopes to pass music on to his kids — his 2-year-old has a good sense of rhythm and already knows most of the words to his songs — he's taking something his father always said to heart.
'I'm never going to force them to do music, but if they want to, I will teach them everything that I know,' he said.
Thunderstorm Artis in Hawaii for the "American Idol" top 24 round. | Chloe Rice
On 'Idol,' Artis has opened up about his wife and his kids through performing original music — something he didn't get to explore too much on 'The Voice,' which focuses more on having the contestants bring their own interpretations to well-known songs.
It feels truer to himself, he said, and having his family by his side in Los Angeles as he films 'Idol' has made it even more special. He couldn't do it — and wouldn't want to do it — without them.
The filming schedule for 'American Idol' is long — there's a lot of behind the scenes footage that doesn't make it on TV. Sometimes it feels like a 9 to 5 job, Artis said. But having his wife and kids with him through it all makes a world of difference.
'The support of my family really gives me a lot of the strength to really do this,' he said. 'And getting to share these moments with my boys, even though they're young, but getting to see me take a bet on myself, on something like this, has been really special.'
And to his surprise, even amid the stress of an intense competition like 'Idol,' Artis has also found a lot of support in his fellow contestants.
'Putting good out there in the world'
During Hollywood Week — the round of 'Idol' that slashes the competition in half — an unexpected moment unfolded backstage.
A video circulating on Instagram shows several of the Season 23 competitors singing a worship song together — a moment that was completely unscripted, Artis said.
'It just felt like the spirit of the Lord was in the room,' he said. 'And I think that for me was in a time where I was kind of shaky and I wasn't sure if this was where I was supposed to be. But it was like, this is right where God wants me to be.'
For Artis, the love and encouragement the 'Idol' contestants share with each other — even as they are competing against each other — has been one of the most rewarding parts of the show.
'Whether I win or lose, I want to also make sure that I'm helping everyone put their best foot forward,' he said. 'I don't want to see anyone get on stage and not do something great. I want to see them do the best they can offer.
'And if I'm not the last 'American Idol,' I'm going to celebrate whoever is.'
Because ultimately, Artis said, 'Idol' is just another avenue for him to share the power of music. It's helped to make his life more complete, and maybe, he says, it can do that for someone else.
'It's putting good out there in the world — that's what I want to do,' he said. 'I just want to hopefully bring a little light with the amount of time that I'm here on this earth. It doesn't matter how much fame I acquire or lack of fame I acquire, because I think I have something special to offer. I'm just putting it out there, and hopefully the world likes it.'
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The filmmaker behind Prey returns with the animated Predator: Killer of Killers, his first of two new Predator movies releasing this year. It's an anthology film that feels inspired by any number of viral tweets suggesting, 'We need a Predator movie set in feudal Japan,' because that's exactly what we get here. We get three separate stories — one set in Viking times, one in feudal Japan and another set during World War II that's essentially one long dogfight between U.S. soldiers and a huge terrifying Predator ship. The premise is quite simple. In each short, we learn about some badass who is the most badass fighter of their time, and then a Predator shows up to fight them. The action is incredible, unencumbered by the limits of live-action and fully embracing the fact that it's a cartoon, delivering everything you'd want to see in a Predator movie. There's one sequence that legitimately may be the best scene in any one of these movies, period. The stories do also come together in a very satisfying way. I hope they immediately announce the sequel that's set up at the end here, because even if I didn't fully jibe with the animation style, this absolutely rocks. 🍿 What critics are saying: The Guardian's Catherine Bray felt the animation was "lacking a little something," adding, "you can't help picturing how much more spectacular it would look in live action." 👀 How to watch: Predator: Killer of Killers is now streaming on Hulu. Stream on Hulu 🤔 If that's not for you... : Taraji P. Henson stars as a single mother facing a series of painful events in Tyler Perry's new movie, out now on Netflix. Netflix did not provide a review copy for critics. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: This one's an easy sell: it's a documentary about Led Zeppelin, featuring interviews with the surviving members of the band about their origins and their meteoric rise. It also features fantastic concert footage, much of which has never been seen before. It's a treat for Led Heads, even if the movie doesn't get into any of the dirty details about the animosity between them that necessitates all members being interviewed separately over the course of the film and, of course, the fact that they haven't played a show together since 2007. It's a fun, rocking trip down memory lane; if you missed it in IMAX theaters, it's now streaming on Netflix. 🍿 What critics are saying: The reception has been largely positive; Steve Pond at the Wrap correctly notes that it "offers glimpses of the band we've never seen before, but it also withholds a lot." Joshua Rothkopf at the Los Angeles Times asks, "Why are these guys so boring?" and also laments that "no other voices have been allowed," knocking the lack of historical context. 👀 How to watch: Becoming Led Zeppelin is now streaming on Netflix. Stream on Netflix ➕ Bonus recommendation: Presence Why you should watch it: Presence isn't the horror movie it's being marketed as, but it's absolutely haunting and chilling in a different way. Here, the camera is the ghost that's haunting a house, and the entire movie takes place from that perspective. The viewers are along for the ride, limited to what the ghost knows and doesn't know, as the lost soul tries to solve the case of its own death and figure out why it's haunting this What unfolds is a compelling family drama with moments of pure terror. It hits you on a deeper level and stays there rather than leave you screaming over a loud noise or a jump scare. It's certainly a horror movie, just not the register we've come to expect from the premise of 'family moves into a haunted house.' It cleverly ends up being a movie about parenting, among other themes. Director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp are more interested in the dynamics between the family inhabiting the house than delivering cheap thrills, and it pays off with a gut-punch of an ending. The entire cast is great, but it's particularly nice to see Lucy Liu again. 🍿 What critics are saying: Critics love Soderbergh, and this time is no different. Stephanie Zacharek at Time writes, "it's so compact, smart, and elegant that it feels quietly momentous. Without handing everything over, it gives you all you need," though the Telegraph's Tim Robey was more mixed, writing that it's "certainly not a bad time" while taking issue with certain elements. 👀 How to watch: Presence is now streaming on Hulu. Stream on Hulu 🤔 If those aren't for you... : If you thought The Accountant was silly, hold on to your briefcase and pocket protector! Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal both return in the much, much goofier sequel, which leans into not only the humor but also becomes more of a hangout movie than you'd expect. Any grounding in reality is gone here, so your mileage may vary, even if you dug the first one. Now streaming on Amazon Prime. :Jack Quaid continues his streak of being in yet another movie where he's out to save a kidnapped woman, This time, he plays a mentally ill man who teams up with his neighbor Jeffrey Dean Morgan to solve an abduction he witnesses. It's pretty fun! Now streaming on AMC+ : This is a sweet and nice movie about a a lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island who dreams of getting his favorite musicians back together. His fantasy turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation. Carey Mulligan is in it! Now streaming on Peacock. :The selling point of this movie is not only that Robert De Niro is returning to the mob movie genre, but that he's playing two distinct leading roles in it. The problem is, the characters are not related, so it's just a strange gimmick that never really makes sense outside of "wouldn't it be fun to see De Niro play against himself?" The movie is a familiar bore, but it's now on HBO Max, so if you're curious, it won't cost you anything extra. Now streaming on HBO Max. What an exhaustive week! We'll see you again next Friday at the movies.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
See John Wick spinoff 'Ballerina' in theaters, rent 'Sinners,' stream 'Presence' on Hulu, plus more movies to watch this weekend
Hello, Yahoo Entertainment readers! I'm Brett Arnold, a longtime writer and editor at Yahoo and film critic for my podcast, Roger (Ebert) & Me, and welcome to Trust Me, I Watch Everything. I'm here to recommend what you should see in movie theaters, rent from the comfort of your couch or queue up from a streaming service you may already subscribe to. I watch it all so you don't have to. This week, Ballerina, the long-awaited John Wick spin-off starring Ana De Armas, hits theaters. If you're looking for a movie to keep you up at night, horror-thriller Dangerous Animals is a strong candidate, but don't miss out on the smash hit Sinners either. Also available is an animated take on the Predator franchise and a nostalgic documentary in Becoming Led Zeppelin. What to watch in theaters Movies newly available to rent or buy Movies debuting on streaming services you may already have Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have My "it's just good enough" recommendation: Why you should watch it: After a lengthy delay and reports of extensive reshoots, stuntman-turned-filmmaker Chad Stahelski, the brainchild of the franchise and director of all four John Wick films, was brought in to replace director Len Wiseman. One of its stars, Ian McShane, confirmed in an interview that Stahelski came onboard to "protect the franchise." He did what he could. Whenever the movie is in hyper-violent action mode, it's a lot of fun. The problem is, that awesome action is almost entirely relegated to the final 45 minutes, which leaves about an hour and 15 minutes of laborious setup. Anytime the movie slows down to get into the minutiae of the world-building or the backstory of the lead character, it's a bore, missing the mark of what makes Wick satisfying. The dark humor that punctuates the violence, a staple of the series, is firmly in tact here though, and the more inventive kills involve grenades, flamethrowers and an ice skate. Keeping with franchise tradition, it does appear that Ana de Armas does a lot of her own fighting and stunt work, and it looks great. While the reshoots clearly added the fluid action that works, they also added in John Wick himself in a way that felt unneeded, taking away from the lead character's story. I guess the writing was on the wall when the title changed from Ballerina to From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. 🍿 What critics are saying: Don't come for the storyline! Variety's Owen Gleiberman called the plot of Ballerina "pure trash," with the Los Angeles Times's Amy Nicholson calling it "a snooze." That said, the fight scenes get high marks. "These movies lie or die by their action sequences, and to its credit, this franchise expansion pack has a few good ones up its sleeve," Rolling Stone's David Fear wrote. 👀 How to watch: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is now in theaters nationwide. Get tickets ➕ Bonus recommendation: Dangerous Animals Why you should watch it: Dangerous Animals is one of those movies in which the very premise feels like a spoiler. The opening scene is such a terrific reveal, it's hard not to imagine how much better it'd play with zero knowledge going in. So stop reading now and watch it if you're into horror or survival thrillers or shark movies. If you need more convincing, read on, because boy does it have a killer premise. It's a serial killer movie with a shark-related twist, or a shark movie with a serial killer added for good measure. Let me explain: Jai Courtney plays a serial killer, and his method of killing people is to feed them to sharks. He films these killings because to him, the 'greatest show on Earth' is watching sharks, one of the ocean's most majestic creatures, do what comes naturally to them when a warm, bloodied human body is lowered into the waters. The movie mostly focuses on the final girl trapped on his boat as she tries to free herself before the next feeding. What more do you need to know? 🍿 What critics are saying: The reception has been largely positive; Kristy Puchko at Mashable says Jai Courtney is a "rip-roaring force of nature" and praises the film as "a satisfying, sick, and devilishly smart thriller." Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian, however, isn't a fan, calling it "derivative" and declaring it "has a bargain-basement straight-to-streaming feel to it." 👀 How to watch: Dangerous Animals is now in theaters nationwide. Get tickets 🤔 If those aren't for you... :The most generic exorcism/possession movie possible, you've seen every single thing this movie throws at you. Even though stars Dan Stevens and Al Pacino, it's very low-rent. — Get tickets. :Comedian Nick Kroll and Broadway star Andrew Rannells play a gay couple in this dark comedy that starts off strong and goes off the rails about halfway through, becoming a different movie with a completely different tone. A shame, because it was cute before it went nuts. — Get tickets. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Sinners is one of the biggest hits of the year, which is no easy feat for an original movie not based on anything that already exists, and it's easy to see why: It's as audacious as it is purely entertaining. Yes, it's a vampire movie, but it takes half the film to get there — extreme From Dusk Till Dawn vibes — and before that, it's a period piece gangster movie that patiently sets up the stakes of its story. In the end, what's revealed is that the movie works entirely on its own terms as a spectacle — about a bunch of people holing up in a single location and warding off invaders — but it also works on an entirely different level: as a metaphor about its director's feelings on making art as a Black man in an industry that's eager to exploit his perspective. Calling it a musical is a stretch, but it has a blues element that pays off well. Sinners is a hell of a swing, and even if things occasionally get messy or certain elements feel pushed to the side, its vision comes through so strong that it's an incredibly impressive feat. 🍿 What critics are saying: Sinners is also one of the best-reviewed films of the year and has a great shot at Oscar gold. David Sims at the Atlantic said it "had [him] cheering for every thrill and spill, all while mulling the deeper concerns threaded through it" and AP's Jocelyn Novek wrote, "by far the most creatively ambitious, culturally layered, artistically bold twin-led cinematic outing yet — if this sentence feels like a lot, get ready for the movie!" 👀 How to watch: Sinners is now available to rent or purchase on digital and on-demand. Rent or buy 'Sinners' 🤔 If that's not for you... : A Nicolas Cage-led, laugh-out-loud funny but also quite stressful descent into madness that recalls the Ozploitation classic Wake in Fright. "Don't live here, don't surf here!" — Rent or buy. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Prey, the Predator prequel that brought new life to the beloved sci-fi/action franchise, shocked everyone when it debuted on Hulu a few years ago with its unique spin on the series, centering Amber Midthunder's Naru. The filmmaker behind Prey returns with the animated Predator: Killer of Killers, his first of two new Predator movies releasing this year. It's an anthology film that feels inspired by any number of viral tweets suggesting, 'We need a Predator movie set in feudal Japan,' because that's exactly what we get here. We get three separate stories — one set in Viking times, one in feudal Japan and another set during World War II that's essentially one long dogfight between U.S. soldiers and a huge terrifying Predator ship. The premise is quite simple. In each short, we learn about some badass who is the most badass fighter of their time, and then a Predator shows up to fight them. The action is incredible, unencumbered by the limits of live-action and fully embracing the fact that it's a cartoon, delivering everything you'd want to see in a Predator movie. There's one sequence that legitimately may be the best scene in any one of these movies, period. The stories do also come together in a very satisfying way. I hope they immediately announce the sequel that's set up at the end here, because even if I didn't fully jibe with the animation style, this absolutely rocks. 🍿 What critics are saying: The Guardian's Catherine Bray felt the animation was "lacking a little something," adding, "you can't help picturing how much more spectacular it would look in live action." 👀 How to watch: Predator: Killer of Killers is now streaming on Hulu. Stream on Hulu 🤔 If that's not for you... : Taraji P. Henson stars as a single mother facing a series of painful events in Tyler Perry's new movie, out now on Netflix. Netflix did not provide a review copy for critics. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: This one's an easy sell: it's a documentary about Led Zeppelin, featuring interviews with the surviving members of the band about their origins and their meteoric rise. It also features fantastic concert footage, much of which has never been seen before. It's a treat for Led Heads, even if the movie doesn't get into any of the dirty details about the animosity between them that necessitates all members being interviewed separately over the course of the film and, of course, the fact that they haven't played a show together since 2007. It's a fun, rocking trip down memory lane; if you missed it in IMAX theaters, it's now streaming on Netflix. 🍿 What critics are saying: The reception has been largely positive; Steve Pond at the Wrap correctly notes that it "offers glimpses of the band we've never seen before, but it also withholds a lot." Joshua Rothkopf at the Los Angeles Times asks, "Why are these guys so boring?" and also laments that "no other voices have been allowed," knocking the lack of historical context. 👀 How to watch: Becoming Led Zeppelin is now streaming on Netflix. Stream on Netflix ➕ Bonus recommendation: Presence Why you should watch it: Presence isn't the horror movie it's being marketed as, but it's absolutely haunting and chilling in a different way. Here, the camera is the ghost that's haunting a house, and the entire movie takes place from that perspective. The viewers are along for the ride, limited to what the ghost knows and doesn't know, as the lost soul tries to solve the case of its own death and figure out why it's haunting this What unfolds is a compelling family drama with moments of pure terror. It hits you on a deeper level and stays there rather than leave you screaming over a loud noise or a jump scare. It's certainly a horror movie, just not the register we've come to expect from the premise of 'family moves into a haunted house.' It cleverly ends up being a movie about parenting, among other themes. Director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp are more interested in the dynamics between the family inhabiting the house than delivering cheap thrills, and it pays off with a gut-punch of an ending. The entire cast is great, but it's particularly nice to see Lucy Liu again. 🍿 What critics are saying: Critics love Soderbergh, and this time is no different. Stephanie Zacharek at Time writes, "it's so compact, smart, and elegant that it feels quietly momentous. Without handing everything over, it gives you all you need," though the Telegraph's Tim Robey was more mixed, writing that it's "certainly not a bad time" while taking issue with certain elements. 👀 How to watch: Presence is now streaming on Hulu. Stream on Hulu 🤔 If those aren't for you... : If you thought The Accountant was silly, hold on to your briefcase and pocket protector! Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal both return in the much, much goofier sequel, which leans into not only the humor but also becomes more of a hangout movie than you'd expect. Any grounding in reality is gone here, so your mileage may vary, even if you dug the first one. Now streaming on Amazon Prime. :Jack Quaid continues his streak of being in yet another movie where he's out to save a kidnapped woman, This time, he plays a mentally ill man who teams up with his neighbor Jeffrey Dean Morgan to solve an abduction he witnesses. It's pretty fun! Now streaming on AMC+ : This is a sweet and nice movie about a a lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island who dreams of getting his favorite musicians back together. His fantasy turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation. Carey Mulligan is in it! Now streaming on Peacock. :The selling point of this movie is not only that Robert De Niro is returning to the mob movie genre, but that he's playing two distinct leading roles in it. The problem is, the characters are not related, so it's just a strange gimmick that never really makes sense outside of "wouldn't it be fun to see De Niro play against himself?" The movie is a familiar bore, but it's now on HBO Max, so if you're curious, it won't cost you anything extra. Now streaming on HBO Max. What an exhaustive week! We'll see you again next Friday at the movies.
