THE STORY SO FAR.

Profile of a man with long wavy hair and a full beard wearing a black wide-brimmed cowboy hat, a black jacket, and a black bandana with white patterns around his neck.
Chris Tungseth with his guitar beside a vintage van

Chris Tungseth   /   The story so far

The road
so far.

From Fergus Falls to the American Idol stage. Follow the songs, the moments, and the road still ahead.

Scroll through the story
01Before the lights

Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Where it
all started.

Before a national stage, there was church, open mics, and music in local bars and restaurants. A construction worker from Fergus Falls, Chris grew up singing as a pastor’s son. A friend signed him up for American Idol—and a new chapter began.

Read his story
Black and white portrait of Chris Tungseth in a cowboy hat
Fergus Falls. Always home.
02The first yes

A song for Dad.

Watch performance
Performance 01

Lonely Road

Chris Tungseth

Chris introduced his original song, written in memory of his father, and earned three yes votes.

Audition
03Hollywood Week

On to Nashville.

Watch performance
Performance 02

Jealous

Labrinth

Chris performed Labrinth’s ballad during Hollywood Week in Nashville. His advancement to the Top 30 was revealed on March 2.

Hollywood Week · Music City
04ʻOhana & the Top 20

A long way
from Minnesota.

Performance 03

Iris

Goo Goo Dolls

A glimpse of Chris’s performance aired during the ʻOhana Round in Hawaii, where he advanced to the Top 20.

ʻOhana Round · Top 30
Read the performance recap
Watch performance
Performance 04

Apologize

OneRepublic

Chris performed in Hawaii after mentoring with Brad Paisley and Keke Palmer, putting his own interpretation on the pop hit.

Top 20 · Hawaii · Night 2
05The live shows

One song
at a time.

Watch performance
Performance 05

By Your Grace

Cody Johnson

Chris brought Cody Johnson’s song to the first live show of the season. Top 12 results were delayed until April 6.

Top 14 · Songs of Faith
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Performance 06

I’ll Be

Edwin McCain

Chris chose Edwin McCain’s ballad from the judges’ three suggestions; Carrie Underwood was revealed as the judge who selected it.

Top 12 · ’90s Judges’ Song Contest
Watch performance
Performance 07

Cold as Ice

Foreigner

Chris performed Foreigner’s classic during Rock & Roll Hall of Fame night and advanced to the Top 9.

Top 11 · Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Watch performance
Performance 08

Let It Go

Idina Menzel · Frozen

Mentored by Jennifer Hudson, Chris performed a new interpretation of the Frozen anthem and advanced to the Top 7.

Top 9 · Disney Night
Watch performance
Group performance

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Randy Newman

Chris joins the other Top 9 finalists for a group performance from Toy Story.

With the Top 9
Top 9 · Disney Night · Group Performance
Watch performance
Performance 09

exile

Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver

Chris performed the Folklore duet as his Taylor Swift song selection.

Top 7 · Taylor Swift Night
Watch performance
Performance 10

What Was I Made For?

Billie Eilish

Chris’s second performance of the night was Billie Eilish’s ballad; he advanced to the Top 5.

Top 7 · California Songs
06The Top 5

Down to
the final five.

Watch performance
Performance 11

Northern Attitude

Noah Kahan

Chris performed Noah Kahan’s song during the American Idol and Dancing with the Stars crossover.

Top 5 · DWTS × Idol Semifinals
Performance 12

The Thunder Rolls

Garth Brooks

Chris joined Season 5 alumnus Bucky Covington for a duet. His competitive run ended later that night with a Top 5 finish.

Top 5 · Class of 2006 Reunion
Read the performance recap
07Back for the finale

Back for one more.

Watch performance
Performance 13

Cruise (Remix)

Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly

Chris returned to the finale stage to perform with Nelly.

Grand Finale · Guest Duet
08Beyond American Idol

Top 5 was a milestone.

More songs.
More miles.

The Idol chapter closed with a Top 5 finish and a return for the finale. The next chapter belongs to Chris’s own music.

Original single · June 5, 2026

Lonely Road

Listen to the song that started it all ↗

Single · October 23, 2026

Sophia

Explore the next chapter ↗
Follow the story
Performance archive & credits

American Idol · Season 24 (2026). Dates are U.S. broadcast dates. This archive follows 13 featured performances and one Top 9 group performance. “Iris” aired as a snippet. The “Iris” and “The Thunder Rolls” entries link to coverage because a standalone official full-performance clip was not verified. Videos are provided by American Idol; song rights belong to their respective owners.

  1. Lonely Road · Chris Tungseth
  2. Jealous · Labrinth
  3. Iris · Goo Goo Dolls
  4. Apologize · OneRepublic
  5. By Your Grace · Cody Johnson
  6. I’ll Be · Edwin McCain
  7. Cold as Ice · Foreigner
  8. Let It Go · Idina Menzel · Frozen
  9. You’ve Got a Friend in Me · Randy Newman
  10. exile · Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver
  11. What Was I Made For? · Billie Eilish
  12. Northern Attitude · Noah Kahan
  13. The Thunder Rolls · Garth Brooks
  14. Cruise (Remix) · Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly

Archive checked October 16, 2026.

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