An unforgettable moment during the American Idol finale, country music star Luke Bryan joined contestant Mia Matthews for a powerful duet, paying tribute to the legendary George Strait with a heartfelt cover of one of his classic hits. The performance, which left fans and judges alike in awe, was a perfect blend of Bryan’s seasoned country voice and Matthews’ raw talent, creating an electrifying stage moment that celebrated both the legacy of Strait and the future of country music.
Matthews said Bryan was “the best duet partner.”
Luke Bryan teamed up with American Idol Top 10 contestant, Mia Matthews, to perform a surprise duet during the American Idol finale on Sunday evening.
First, Bryan performed his latest country radio single, “Love You, Miss You, Mean It.”
Then he welcomed Matthews to the stage, shouting, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mia Matthews, everybody!”
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The audience erupted with cheers at the sight of Matthews, who entered the stage sporting knee-high sparkly boots and a short silver sequin dress.
For their duet, Bryan and Matthews joined forces for a collaborative rendition of George Strait’s hit single, “Run.” The song was released in 2001 and reached No.2 on the country charts.
Their voices blended together seamlessly as they tipped their hat to the King of Country Music.
Luke Bryan, Mia Matthews; Photo Courtesy American Idol
At the end of the performance, they hit one final high note as they harmonized together and then embraced in a hug.
“Give it up for Mia,” Bryan said from the stage with a huge smile on his face.
Following their performance, Mia took to social media to share a few snapshots and wrote, “the best duet partner🤝 LOVE U MEAN IT.”
Mia Matthews, who auditioned in Nashville, Tenn., secured a place in the American Idol top 10. A true country girl at heart, she performed several country hits throughout the season, including “No Place That Far” by Sara Evans, “Daddy’s Hands” by Holly Dunn, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” by Lainey Wilson, and “Over You” by Miranda Lambert. Her performance of Shania Twain’s “No One Needs To Know” fell short and she was eliminated from the competition at that point.
Mia Matthews; Photo by Disney/Eric McCandless
When bidding farewell to Idol, Mia shared a message of gratitude toward the show and those she met along the way.
“Living proof that nobody does Shania like @shaniatwain 😉 sorry for messing the words up quee,” she shared. “My time on idol was nothing short of magic! I tried new things, went new places and met new people. I am so so thankful for this journey and all memories made along the way<3 Thank you, Jesus! Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says “To everything there is a season”… and that’s exactly what this is!!! the beginning and end of a season!!! new chapter starts NOW!💜 love yall 🙂 (ps I adore @emmyroserussell and genuinely couldn’t be any more proud😉) LETS GO HOME NOW💜”
Mia is the older sister of Jacy Matthews, who also auditioned for American Idol this season. Fans may also recognize them from NBC’s The Voice where they appeared as part of the trio Worth The Wait with their mother, Tara Matthews.
After joining Team Blake Shelton, Worth The Wait performed covers of country hits such as “Love Is Alive” by The Judds, “Delta Dawn” by Tanya Tucker, and “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” by Martina McBride.
Worth the Wait; Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC
Their time on the show was cut short just before the Top 9 was revealed. They bid an emotional farewell to Shelton, who they lovingly called “Uncle Blake,” telling him, “We are filled with gratitude for just this whole experience. We didn’t know how far we would go. It was a blessing to our family.”
Months later, Shelton surprised the family trio with an invitation to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.
Mia Matthews has yet to reveal what she has planned for her time post-American Idol.
