Did Thunderstorm Artis Make the Top 5 of ‘American Idol’ 2025?

Thunderstorm Artis, a former finalist on “The Voice” who made it into the top 7 of “American Idol” season 23, vied for viewers’ votes again on May 11, 2025. It was the first of two Disney nights, during which Artis had to perform a tune from Disney’s vast song catalog. Viewers had less than two hours to vote for their favorites during the show, determining who would make it through to the top 5 of season 23.

SPOILER ALERT: Do not continue reading if you do NOT want to know whether Artis made it into the top 5.

Voting closed during the final commercial break, and the results were handed over to host Ryan Seacrest to reveal which members of top 7 would advance to the top 5. So did Artis make it through? YES, he did make it through!

Thunderstorm Artis Felt ‘Blessed’ Getting to Visit Disneyland With His Family

In between filming with guest mentor Lin-Manuel Miranda and rehearsing for the Disney shows, Artis, 29, got to spend time at Disneyland with his family — wife Faith and their two sons, Eziekel, who will turn three in June, and eight-month-old Zion.

Raised in Hawaii but now living in Nashville, Artis told the Deseret News on May 10 that while balancing family life with the demands of the show, he’s trying to stay grateful despite the stress of it all.

“I’m blessed that I’m still here in the top seven, to be able to do this week after week, even though it’s a lot of work,” he told the paper. “I have to remind myself that I get to do this. This is a blessing. I could be doing a million different things, but I get to stand on stage and do something I’m really passionate about in front of millions of people in the world that are invested in my journey.”

Comparing ‘American Idol’ to ‘The Voice,’ Thunderstorm Artis Says He’s in a ‘Different Season’ of Life Now

Artis auditioned for “American Idol” when he was 28 — the cut-off age for eligible contestants on the show. He has since turned 29 and knows this is his last chance at making it to the top of a national talent show, having already placed third on “The Voice” in 2020.

He admitted to Parade in late April that “originally, man, I was terrified about doing a second show” until he realized that he “was in a very different season” of his life when he appeared on “The Voice.”

“I have two kids now, I have a wonderful wife, and I am in a different season of life,” he told the outlet, “so I wanted to come on here and really showcase my artistry in a way that I didn’t get to do on the last show with some original music. I really wanted to see if I had what it took. Life is all about taking chances and so I wanted to take a chance on myself with this show.”

Artis paid tribute to his wife on the May 6 show, singing Journey’s “Faithfully” directly to her in the audience and telling her “the world may have my gift, but you have my heart.”