On Sunday’s episode, judges Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan listened to Trey Louis, a 21-year-old mattress salesman and aspiring singer from Texas, sing a rendition of Whiskey Myers’ 2016 track “Stone.”
Nevertheless it was his backstory that was really noteworthy.
“I’m from Santa Fe, Texas. In Could 2018, a gunman walked into my faculty,” Louis mentioned. “I used to be in Artwork Room 1. He shot up Artwork Room 2 earlier than he made his solution to Artwork Room 1. I misplaced a variety of pals. Eight college students have been killed. Two lecturers have been killed. It’s simply actually been unfavorable. Santa Fe’s had a foul rep since 2018.”
“Our nation has f**king failed us! This isn’t OK,” Perry mentioned. “Try to be singing right here since you love music, not since you needed to undergo that f**king bulls**t. You don’t should lose eight pals. I hope that you just remind those that we now have to vary. As a result of I’m scared, too.”
Richie was additionally visibly affected, telling Louis, “We’ve got tolerated this for thus lengthy. Too lengthy. It’s grow to be a norm.”
Perry then continued, “We’ve bought to vary. And I hope you may simply lead,” earlier than all three judges despatched Louis off to Hollywood for the subsequent spherical.