American Idol winner, Noah Thompson recently dropped his highly-anticipated track, “Make You Rich.” With this release and accompanying music video, the singer is proving that being rich isn’t always about the amount of money you have, but instead the kind of person you choose to be.
When he first teased the humbling track via social media, the artist on the rise revealed that it was in the running to be his first single, but the catchy tune of his previous release, “One Day Tonight” ended up being the right choice for him at the time. That being said, the message of his newest song never left his mind and now, it’s getting its chance to shine among his fanbase.
“On the show, I was kind of pitched a couple songs and I listened to, I don’t know how many songs, but it came down to ‘One Day Tonight’ and ‘Make You Rich,’” Thompson told Country Now after his recent show in Rosemont, IL. “I was really going back and forth on those two songs, and I love the message that ‘Make You Rich,’ gave. It’s not about this and that, that you have, it’s about family, friends, and just loved ones, the people you have around you. I love that, and I thought that would be a really good song for me to do just to show me as a person, because I was the American Idol winner that went home and got on our freaking lawnmower and cut the grass.”
Penned by Jason Nix, Craig Wiseman, and Driver Williams, “Make You Rich” encourages one to live a life full of gratitude and to never take the high points for granted. As he continues to adjust to his new life in the limelight, Thompson supports the message of this song, which reminds him to never forget where he comes from, even with great success and huge opportunities in the palm of his hand.
He added, “I want people to know that I’m not forgetting who I am and I won’t ever forget who I am, and I’m always gonna stick to my roots. It’s just me. I can’t help that. I’ve learned in my life to find the simplest of things that make me happy, and I want to always be that way. I don’t ever wanna lose that, you know?”
His unwavering vocals take on a new level of strength among his talent, which is backed by the steady beat of instrumentals such as electric guitars, banjos, keyboards and more.
“Be a better man than the old man was / Give a damn when nobody else does / Love your woman like you’re paid to / Like you ain’t afraid to / Like she was made for you / Be a good friend when a good friend needs it / Have a little faith when no one believes it / When it comes to love I’ll tell you this / You’ve got to give it like the givens gonna make you rich,” Thompson sings in the chorus.
Thomson revealed that his son remains at the forefront of his inspiration. The Louisa, Kentucky native returned home to film the music video for this song, giving fans a glimpse into his life before Idol, when his days consisted of working in construction and taking care of his little boy.
In the opening scene, Thompson wanders through his hometown, as the camera flips to words of support written in his honor throughout the streets. Then, the father and son appear in the video, walking through a field, and spending some simple moments at home. In addition, a few of Thompson’s friends join him around the fire to share some laughs and enjoy a few drinks from their red solo cups.
“Make You Rich” follows his popular debut song “One Day Tonight” which immediately shot to No. 1 on the charts and continues to rack up on-demand streams, averaging nearly 1 million per week, as well as his countrified cover of Rhianna’s “Stay,” which was released earlier this summer.
His new release comes just in time for the launch of his co-headlining tour with Idol runner-up, HunterGirl. This trek kicked off Thursday, October 27 in Columbus, Ohio and is slated to continue through December 2, where they will wrap up in St Louis, MO at The Hawthorn.
Both artists appeared on season 20 of American Idol and placed first and second on the show, respectively. Since spending so much time together in the grueling competition, he and HunterGirl have quickly become great friends. They decided to combine their talents for this trek, bringing previous Idol contestant, Grace Leer and Laci Kaye Booth on the road with them as a special guests for select dates.
During their stop in Illinois, Thompson performed his previously released tracks, along with a few countrified covers including his audition song, “Giving You Up” by Kameron Marlowe.
Plus, he shared some new music that most fans have never heard before. Thompson and HunterGirl ended the show with a highly requested encore. They surprised fans by returning to the stage together to jam out to their version of “Kryptonite.”
This tour is an example of just how much Idol has changed Thompson’s life. A year ago, he was working in the construction field and now, in the blink of an eye, he’s on the road living out his dreams.
Not only is this his first headlining tour, but it’s his first tour in general, an unusual feat for a new artist.
“Just now, right before I went on that stage, I’m sitting here thinking like, half the time I’m questioning myself, am I good enough? Can I do this? You know what I mean? And night’s like tonight remind me that that’s why I love it so much, because of the people, and it’s just, I don’t know. I could cry a thing about it. It’s just a really special thing.”
He revealed that the biggest adjustment has been taking so much time away from home and his family to work on new music in Nashville and play shows in various locations. But Thompson’s motivation to keep going is the hope that he can give his son the best future that he can.
“I’m still a kid, you know, and I got a baby boy of my own. I mean, he’s my life. He really is. He means everything to me,” Thompson shared. “This whole change, it was really hard on me, but I know that I’m never gonna be able to take care of that kid the way I can doing this. I mean, that’s the God honest truth. I wasn’t the smartest guy in the world. I didn’t go to college, didn’t have the money to go to college, so it’s a dream come true. It really is.”
While he continues to learn new skills in writing sessions with some of Nashville’s most experienced songwriters, Thomspon shared that he’s taking everything day by day and “having a blast” in the process.
The next stop on his tour with HunterGirl will take place Nov. 4 in Marion, IL.
