On Sunday night, the seventeenth season finale of American Idol aired and viewers all over the U.S. chose country singer, Laine Hardy, as the newest Idol! While up against the talented Madison VanDenburg and street performer Alejandro Aranda, this was definitely a win that some did not see coming.

 Known as the “southern heartthrob,” Laine Hardy is a high school senior born and raised in Livingston, Louisiana. Hardy, who also appeared on the 16th season of American Idol in the spring of 2018 and got voted off at the top 50, was not planning on auditioning for the show a second time. However, when he showed up as a guitarist for his friend’s audition, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie had a different idea. He was offered a golden ticket and made his way to Hollywood! Laine proved to America that he had improved in more ways than one and was considered one of the best singers throughout the season. On Sunday, he made it to the top two, when Madison VanDenburg got eliminated. To seal his spot on American Idol, he then sang his original song, “Flame.”

 In the nerve-racking moments leading up to the big reveal, Hardy and Aranda gave each other a warm hug to show their support for one another. The crowd was split down the middle, with many people positive that Alejandro would win with his killer performance and stage presence. However, you could hear charmed fans and supporters shouting Hardy’s name right before the announcement. At the end, host Ryan Seacrest called out Laine’s name, and he was officially the 17th winner of American Idol!