Phillip Phillips

The 11th-season victor on Fox's American Idol, vocalist Phillip Phillips possesses a throaty, soulful delivery that blends introspective acoustic songwriting with expansive, jam-inflected rock textures. His first full-length release, The World from the Side of the Moon, reached number four on the Billboard 200 and yielded the chart-topping singles "Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone." Behind the Light followed in 2014 and again entered the Top Ten, while Collateral surfaced four years later. In 2019 he joined American Authors and Maddie Poppe for the single "Bring It On Home," then teamed with Walk Off the Earth on "Hold On to Your Love" in 2021; the tenth anniversary of his Idol triumph was marked by the 2022 release "Love Like That."

A native of Albany, Georgia, Phillips first immersed himself in music during adolescence. He later assembled a band alongside brother-in-law Benjamin Neil and began playing regional gigs, ultimately claiming first prize at the Albany Star competition in 2010. While enrolled at Albany Technical College, he tried out for American Idol with renditions of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller," accompanying himself on guitar. After advancing through the Hollywood rounds, he secured a spot in the Top Ten by delivering Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle."

Phillips contends with a congenital kidney disorder; throughout his Idol run he endured eight procedures to extract stones. Despite ongoing discomfort he persisted in the competition and ultimately prevailed over finalist Jessica Sanchez. His Idol victory single "Home" was issued on May 23, 2012, and later appeared on the 2012 compilation Journey to the Finale. Once the series concluded, he underwent successful reconstructive surgery and joined the American Idol LIVE Tour that summer before tracking his debut album. Titled The World from the Side of the Moon, the record emerged in November 2012 and was reissued the following year with three bonus cuts drawn from the Phillip Phillips: Live EP.

He commenced work on his next studio album in 2013 alongside producers Todd Clark and Gregg Wattenberg. "Raging Fire," the lead single from those sessions, surfaced in March 2014, climbing to number ten on the U.S. Adult Top 40 chart and number 58 on the Hot 100. Behind the Light arrived that May and peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200. Shortly after its release Phillips filed suit against 19 Entertainment, claiming an "oppressive" contract had left him "manipulated" in career decisions; the matter was resolved out of court in June 2017.

After signing with Interscope, Phillips delivered his third album, Collateral, produced by Ryan Hadlock, in early 2018; the project featured the Top 20 Adult Pop Airplay single "Miles." Following a tour with Gavin DeGraw he issued the 2019 non-album track "Bring It On Home" alongside American Authors and Maddie Poppe. Another single, "Hold On to Your Love," recorded with Walk Off the Earth, appeared in 2021. In April 2022 he commemorated a decade since his Idol victory by performing "Love Like That" during the show's 20th Anniversary episode.