American Idol just released the names of the top five contestants. Sadly, last year's runner-up finalist Dibesh Pokhrel aka. Arthur Gunn didn't make the cut.

Gunn Got a Second Shot But Missed

The Nepalese-American singer came to national attention when he first appeared on the eighteenth season of the ABC singing show and went neck to neck against Just Sam in the finals.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Dibesh Pokharel (@arthur_gunn)

As an unprecedented move from the show's producers, they opened the stage to last season's top 10 contestants to compete for a spot in the competition this year. 

The show's executive producer and showrunner Trish Kinane admitted to Billboard that this was done so that last year's contestants could get the full Idol experience, as their spring live shows last year were canceled because of the pandemic. 

While many were hopeful Gunn would make the most out of his second shot at the crown, he only managed to make it into the top 7. 

He Performed His Version Of 'In My Place'

During his second time on the American Idol stage, he presented his rendition of Coldplay's 'In My Place' after a quick mentorship session from Chris Martin himself. 

The Idol alum then went on to perform the song in his signature style, and as always, he was unapologetically himself. In doing so, the song drummed up a mixed bag of reactions. Even Martin's initial reaction went, 

I always thought the melody was the best bit — and that's the bit you've thrown away.

However, the Coldplay lead singer later admitted that music was fluid, much like an ongoing conversation, and he was all in for what Gunn was attempting. Not all judges came from the same school of thought, though.

The Audience Was Divided

Katy Perry critiqued that sometimes being an artist meant playing along if only just a little bit. She revealed that she wanted to sing along with him but couldn't because she did not know that melody. 

Much like the judges, the audience was squarely divided into two camps. The first group of people found his performance to be absolutely wonderful. But, the second camp's verdict was not so much in his favor. 

"It’s disrespectful to completely change the arrangements of 'In My Place' by Coldplay .. sorry Arthur Gunn I can’t give any vote for you tonight," one fan tweeted. At the same time, another claimed that Gunn was simply being cocky.

In the same episode, he also shook the stage with the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit 'Simple Man' for his mother.

The episode came to a close with Gunn being eliminated on May 9, 2021, along with Hunter Metts. The top five contestants now include Grace Kinstler, Willie Spence, Caleb Kennedy, Casey Bishop, and Chayce Beckham.

Apart from his time on Idol, the artist has been busy churning out albums. On March 22, he released his new album 'Khoj.' This album came after he released 'Self-Titled' in July 2020 and the 'Grahan' EP from back in August 2018.