I was watching "American Idol" last season (the first season with Luke, Katy, and Lionel) and in walks this backwoods Louisiana kid who sings "Hurricane" by The Band of Heathens. His voice was different and I loved it. To see him not win last year was a bummer — until he walked in to play guitar for a friend and easily walked away with a ticket.
But there's more to him than his voice, and here are the five reasons he should win "American Idol":
1. His Voice
Yes, I was just talking about his voice is what won me over for him last season. A lot of the contestants had common voices that you hear often whether in church, a coffee shop, or a bar. Laine Hardy has a raspy, scratchy, old country voice. This generation needs someone to bring back the old days with his voice and with reason number two.
2. His Song Choices
An important key to his success on "Idol" has been his song choices. These songs truly show off his vocal talent and most are fitting of his unique sound. As previously stated in his season one audition Laine sang "Hurricane" by The Band of Heathens and his voice sounded better fitting to the song than the original singer. Yes, I am continuing on with reason one because with his voice you can't just sing any song but the songs you can sing add so much more depth and sound. Some songs have been out of his normal selection and he has soared through the challenges he's faced, each song sounding amazing with his flair added. As for "The Weight" by The Band awe man does he kill that song with his raspiness and acoustic sound.
3. He’s a Louisiana Kid
From the moment we met him in the first season Laine was making judges ask what he was saying because he had such a strong Louisiana Southern accent. At that point, he said he likes to just drive around in his truck and burn gas just like every other yee yee does. He also stated that he hunts gators, which is such a Louisiana thing. This season on his "about me" video, he really shows you how Louisiana he is having a large bayou in his backyard. Altogether, he's just a backwoods Southern kid who loves to hunt and fish and do country things.
And don't forget his life hacks on duct tape and super glue.
4. He Came Back Stronger
The biggest step up for this season over last is his confidence is increased. From his audition, if you could call it that up through every show he has shown confidence from his smile to his ability to be challenged. His voice this year also sounds improved which seems as if he's put in the time and effort to show what an "Idol"-winner should sound like. He also seems to know what he's truly doing on stage and even walking around stage and high-fiving the audience like a confident artist. He even in his audition heard from the judges he worked on and fixed a lot of his faults he had from the previous season and has come back stronger than ever.
5. He’s So Freakin Gorgeous
Yes, I'm a guy and just said that. It's OK when a guy acknowledges another man is attractive like how girls do, we just don't do it as much. But I'll admit, he has a great smile and has a country boy charm about him. He even gets Katy Perry hot and bothered anytime he's on stage and makes her want to party with a Hardy. A major thing that can definitely help his chances in the industry is his looks — especially paired with that voice.
So let's tune into the finale to see if Laine Hardy can win because he definitely has what it takes and I look forward to hearing more of his music and his style. If he doesn't win this season, it's still not a total bust because making it to the final three he should definitely be able to find a record label still.
