‘American Idol:’ Colin Stough Wows Judges With Intimate ‘Nobody Knows’ Cover [Watch]

Disney fan? Sunday night's (May 14) episode of American Idol was one to watch. During the latest installment of the singing competition, the remaining contestants were asked to perform two songs out of the Disney catalog.

For his second appearance of the night, Colin Stough decided to take on “Nobody Knows” from Pete’s Dragon.

When meeting with Sofia Carson during a coaching session, she encouraged Stough to work on the dynamics of delivering a song. She challenged him to start off slower and then start pushing the vocal energy levels.

Stough heeded the advice and took the stage to deliver a more stripped-down performance than he has done in the past. He stood behind a standing microphone, guitar in hand, and let the focus remain on a few instruments and his voice instead of flashy visuals or accompaniments.

Judge Katy Perry was the first to give a comment after the intimate performance, saying it was like everyone in the room was just treated to their own private concert. She once again brought attention to how Stough was evolving and seemed genuinely amazed by the young singer’s progress.

Next up was Luke Bryan, who applauded Stough’s ability to rise to every challenge thrown his way. He was impressed that Stough was able to hold the entire room's attention with just his voice and guitar. He wrapped things up by telling the contestant how proud he is of him.

Stough also performed “Real Gone,” a song from Cars, earlier in the show. Viewers at home must have liked what they saw — at the end of the night it was announced that Stough had earned enough votes to advance to the Top 3. The American Idol finale airs next Sunday (May 21) at 8PM ET on ABC.