Minnesota’s Chris Tungseth has done it once again — defying the odds and cracking into the top seven of the reality TV series “American Idol.”
Tungseth advanced Monday night as the show celebrated “Disney Night,” with nine contestants performing songs from popular Disney movies such as “The Lion King” and “Aladdin.”
Tungseth, who’s a construction worker from Fergus Falls, seized the opportunity to give a nod to Minnesota’s cold winters with his rendition of “Let It Go,” from the animated movie “Frozen.” And viewers were anything but frozen when casting their deciding votes to send him on to the next round during the live show.
“American Idol” judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan — joined by guest judge Jennifer Hudson, who herself was once a contestant on the show — praised Tungseth’s rendition of the song.
“I think you did fantastic,” said Richie. “And the fact is you were giving us expression, stage presence, it was fantastic.”
Underwood followed up by adding it was probably the most animated performance Tungseth has given on the show up until now. And host Ryan Seacrest said he never imagined he’d hear Tungseth perform a song so far outside his comfort zone.
“Yeah, it’s outside of my comfort zone,” Tungseth said of the song choice. “But it’s also an extension of me.”
In the lead-up to his performance, Hudson gave Tungseth tips on strengthening his stage presence — and it paid off. By Tungseth’s own admission, it’s an area where he needs to improve, having had limited opportunities to perform live outside of singing in church while growing up.
To prepare for his audition on the show, Tungseth hit the local music scene in Fergus Falls. One of the places he performed at is Outstate Brewing Company, located on the banks of the Otter Tail River. Every week since the start of this season of “American Idol,” co-owner Pat Lundberg has hosted a watch party at the establishment in support of the 27-year-old.
“His heart is 10 times bigger than his talent, and his talent is extraordinary,” Lundberg said. "He’s done just a fantastic job. As we watch it, we couldn’t be prouder. That said, if he went home tomorrow, we couldn’t be prouder.”
Tungseth has connected with viewers this season by sharing personal challenges he’s faced. His father died from leukemia in 2023, and his mother is currently living in a nursing home because of multiple sclerosis.
Two contestants were eliminated Monday night. “American Idol” will challenge Tungseth and the six other remaining contestants next week with “Taylor Swift Night,” where they will be tasked with performing one of the pop star’s hit songs to make it into the top five. Two episodes remain before the season finale.
