Idol Chatter & Voice Views

A year ago, Cortez Shaw advanced all the way to the final day in Vegas before being cut on American Idol.

He’s back in Season 12, determined to go further.

“This is my chance at redemption,” he says in his Road to Hollywood video. “Last year didn’t work out, but I can get it right this year.”

We didn’t get to see his Season 12 audition from the Oklahoma City episode, but the 21-year-old from Dallas got plenty of airtime during the Hollywood round.

In fact, we were shown snippets of all three of his Hollywood Week performances.

And if the judges were a little divided over his rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” Cortez showed great range every time he took the stage.

We got to know Cortez pretty well during the audition round last year.

For those who don’t remember, Cortez said he and his brother were raised in a single-parent household run by his mom.

Cortez described it as a “hard childhood” punctuated by two years of homelessness during which he was made fun of at school because he had to live with friends.

But Cortez added “No one can put a definition on your life. Only you can determine what happens in your future.”

Right now, that future could include a return trip to the Vegas round on American Idol.

Cortez says he considers himself a down-to-earth, “real chill dude.”

“But when I get on stage, another person comes out, an alter ego or soemthing.”

Here are three videos of Cortez singing. For more, head here.

“When I Was Your Man”

“Diamonds”

“Wanted”