American Idol: Chris Martin introduces the ‘slut bang’ while mentoring Chayce Beckham

Chris Martin may have just introduced a new word into the American Idol lexicon: ‘slut bang.’ On Sunday’s episode of the show, the Coldplay frontman, 44, admired the sleek hairdo of contestant Chayce Beckham, 24, urging him to manufacture ‘Chayce Paste.’

He then suggested the heavy machinery operator bring one lock down in a ‘slut bang,’ a la Johnny Depp in the 1990 film Cry Baby.

The hair styling advice was one of the highlights of the show that also saw the Top 7 get whittled down to the Top 5 with two singers ultimately sent home after Sunday’s two-hour episode. 

The little-known term for a loose forehead tendril was first referenced in a New York magazine article last year. Chayce, a native of Apple Valley, California, declined Chris’ advice to change his ‘do even though the night was all about Coldplay’s songs. He still soared onstage with Magic, the band’s 2014 hit, and was so good that Chris ‘forgot to mentor him at all.’

Like many in the cast, Chayce was impressed with how humble their temporary mentor was.

‘I’ll remember this day forever, and the way that he treated me and the way that he treated everybody here,’ Chayce said.

Katy Perry, 36, told Chayce he had that ‘Chris Martin magic,’ calling the two of them ‘equals.’

‘The only thing I missed was that strand,’ she noted, referring to the slut bang. ‘I stand for that strand… #StandforStrand.’

The evening’s show saw the Top Seven narrowed down to the Top Five, and Chayce was among those who made it through. Casey Bishop, Caleb Kennedy, Grace Kinstler, and Willie Spence rounded out the group, while Arthur Gunn and Hunter Metts went home.

During a break, Coldplay played their new single Higher Power on a TV stage for the first time.

While the first half of Sunday’s show explored the band’s back catalog, the second half found the contestants dedicating a song to their moms on Mother’s Day.

Chase’s original, Mama, paid tribute to his mother’s struggles raising him, moving the room.

‘You make my heart happy, Chase,’ his mother said, watching from her home.

‘Listen, you had me crying on your song,’ Lionel Richie, 71, told Chase. ‘As a songwriter, I’m gonna tell you: Put that song out now. That’s a smash record.’

‘Sensitive, vulnerable, heavy machinery operator?’ Katy lilted. ‘Crying onstage, making his mother cry? A+, A+, A+!’

‘What a way to pull out the right song on the right night!’ added Luke Bryan, 44.

The night kicked off with a rendition of Coldplay’s Paradise, sung by Casey Bishop, a 16-year-old high school student from Estero, Florida.

In rehearsals, she confessed to mentor Chris that she was nervous, and he said the song was about someone just like her, who wanted to do great things but was afraid.

‘The main thing that helps me is just to exist within the song and don’t worry about what anybody thinks,’ he offered. ‘Then your body just finds where it wants to go, and you’re free.’

Hearing her sing, Chris said, ‘Let’s just stop it right there. I can’t teach you anything.’

During the show, Casey really let loose and Katy praised her ‘Chris Martin eccentric-ism.’

‘It was so nice for you to harness that energy, and I hope when I get to see you sing again and again that you’re just moving around like a little tornado,’ she added.

For her mother, Casey did Alanis Morrisette’s Ironic, and the judges praised her stage presence.

Willie Spence, a 21-year-old caretaker from Douglas, Georgia, sang a heartbreaking version of Coldplay’s Yellow.

While practicing, he told Chris he’d grown up singing in church, and Chris said he’d done the same, showing a childhood photo of himself in ‘a very strict English church.’

The frontman then jumped on the piano to play a stripped-down version of Yellow for Willie.

‘Sometimes you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is a human being like me, and listen to what he can do,’ Chris told the cameras. ‘When you can sing that well, you don’t need much.’

The crowd cheered wildly as Willie performed, and Lionel called it a ‘religious experience,’ saying he’d turned Chris’ song into Willie’s song.

‘I will cherish forever the times I’ve gotten to watch you perform 20 feet away from me, man,’ Luke added. ‘I will always cherish this time getting to watch you sing.’

Willie later sang Joe Cocker’s You Are So Beautiful for his mom Sharon.

‘I’ve never heard that song sang like that,’ Katy marveled, as Lionel said he ‘Willie-rized it.’

Caleb Kennedy, a 16-year-old high school student from Roebuck, South Carolina, had never listened to Coldplay before but sang Violet Hill like he’d written it himself.

He also played an original for Chris, who felt he was going to be ‘a superstar country artist.’

Caleb came out onstage ‘like gangbusters,’ Lionel noted, though his confidence dipped when he flubbed some lines and he walked offstage early.

Katy reassured the teen by saying that his unusual rendition scared her ‘in a good way.’

Caleb then sang his own tune Mama Said and took off his hat for the first time on the show.

It blew the judges away, with Luke calling Caleb a ‘true anomaly’ for how seasoned he seemed.

‘I’m a new mom,’ Katy told Caleb. ‘And as a new mom, I wanna say that you wearing your heart on your sleeve looks really good on you.’

Grace Kinstler, a 20-year-old college student from Lakewood, Illinois, sang a beautiful, intimate version of Coldplay’s Fix You.

In rehearsals, Grace had begun by belting out Home for the Weekend, which made her feel more secure, but it wasn’t really working.

Chris suggested she change it to Fix You, which challenged Grace to be more vulnerable.

She got a standing ovation from the judges, with Katy saying, ‘I think you finally arrived.’

‘Grace, I just want this to put this in your mindset,’ Lionel said. ‘We’re always worried about messing up. Your flaws are your magic.’

‘When you finished, I almost said a terrible word on live TV, because I was so pumped up about what I witnessed,’ Luke said. ‘I looked at Katy and I said, ‘That was… great.’ It just took me out of what I was doing. I didn’t even realize I was on American Idol.’

For her mom, Grace sang Adele’s When We Were Young, which the judges called ‘magical.’

Hunter Metts, a 22-year-old software developer from Franklin, Tennessee, overtaxed his vocal abilities on Coldplay’s Everglow.

Chris told him the song was influenced by Bonnie Raitt, an artist Hunter also admired.

‘Hunter is so talented that it makes me pull my own socks up, like, ‘I’d better go back to work,’ Chris said. ‘Like an aging male lion can sense the threat of a young lion coming through.’

He suggested Hunter sing in a higher key, but it made Hunter’s voice break onstage.

The judges rushed to reassure him, with Katy saying, ‘Hunter you don’t understand, I get so many texts about you… just know that you are beloved by the world.’

Hunter then sang an original called The River for his mom, which Luke called ’10 out of 10. Incredible, buddy… it was a musical experience done by a pro.’

Arthur Gunn, a 23-year-old musician from Wichita, Kansas, made the questionable decision to overhaul Coldplay’s My Place. He sang it slow and low like an old Van Morrison song, slightly confusing everyone.

Chris told Arthur he’d always thought the melody was ‘the best bit, and that’s the bit you’ve thrown away!’ but kindly added that he wasn’t protective of his originals.

Live, Katy said it sounded good but warned that Arthur may have gone too far.

The Nepalese musician’s second song was a fine cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Simple Man.

At the end of the show, the Top 5 were announced, and Arthur and Hunter went home.

The group will next be mentored by multi-Grammy winning producer and artist Finneas.

American Idol returns next Sunday on ABC.