Phillip Phillips appeared today (June 27) on the Today Show summer concert series. He just released a new album. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Phillips, who is only 23, has been hampered by medical problems since he won the reality show.

He suffers from a congenital disease that causes large kidney stones that often require surgery to remove. His career was sidetracked after winning the show. to have stones removed and reconstructive surgery.

But that didn’t stop him from releasing his first album World From the Side of the Moon the same year. It was certified platinum (more than 1 million in sales) last August.

His second album, Behind The Light, debuted last month at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, with 41,000, copies sold. That’s well off his debut album (169,000 sales) but not bad for a sophomore effort.

On the “Today Show,” he sang the lead single from the new album, “Raging Fire,” a top ten hit. He’s noted for his guitar work and down to earth style.

Check out his performance. What’s Ed Sheeran got that he doesn’t? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to follow TheImproper on Twitter for the latest music news.

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