'American Idol' fans claim Emmy Russell's 'stage fright act is wearing thin' as Loretta Lynn's progeny's voice tremble
HONOLULU, HAWAII: Following Jelly Roll's performance (of his song 'Highway to Hell'), it was time to hear from Emmy Russell, a 25-year-old from Nashville. As she sang Benson Boone's 'Beautiful Things' on 'American Idol' Hawaii Round, people on social media couldn't stop complaining about her emotional performance in every other episode.
She adds her own twist to the song and changes the arrangement. She has a fantastic voice for country music, which is not surprising given that her grandmother is Loretta Lynn.
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Jelly Roll spotted Emmy's legs trembling. He notices that she is nervous. Emmy admits that she worries that the lovely things in her life may leave.
As her tone seemed a bit trembly, viewers on Reddit wrote, "It’s like she struggles to sing, lol." Another user wondered, "Idk how Emmy and Blake made it into the top 24."
Some users were shocked with the song choice, writing, "No way she’s doing beautiful things…" A fourth user noted, "Emmy thinks she’s too good for this show."
One user further complained, "I liked Emmy at the beginning but I can’t stand her crying every episode." Another Redditor added, "I thought she was meh and her stage fright act is wearing thin."
'American Idol' judges hope Emmy Russell's shyness will go away with time
Jelly was happy for her, since he knew Emmy was apprehensive before the performance. Lionel Richie stated that Emmy's vocal texture represents her entire career, and when she sings, he believes it.
Katy Perry is delighted that this season of 'American Idol' is so receptive to singer-songwriters, and urges Emmy to keep pushing her vocals. Luke Bryan stated that as people get to know Emmy, her timidity will fade.
Who is Emmy Russell on 'American Idol' Season 22?
Emmy is following in her grandmother's footsteps, all the way to Hollywood. Emmy, 25, was born to Patsy Lynn and Phillip Russell and is the granddaughter of Loretta, a country music superstar and 'Coal Miner's Daughter' composer.
Emmy descended from a long history of country artists. Not only is her grandma a Country Music Hall of Famer, but her mother, Patsy, was a member of the country music trio The Lynns, alongside twin sister Peggy, from 1997 to 1999.
Emmy is also the great-niece of Lorretta's younger sister, country music artist Crystal Gayle, who is best known for her 1977 hit ballad 'Don't Make My Brown Eyes Blue.'
'American Idol's Emmy Russell was nominated for Performance of the Year at the CMT Music Awards
Emmy spent her early twenties touring the world as a Christian missionary before pursuing a career in music. Emmy takes the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House in April 2023.
There, she paid tribute to her grandma with a song called 'Memaw's Guitar,' which she played on a guitar Loretta gave her for her 15th birthday. At the time, the Grand Ole Opry posted a photo of Emmy's performance on Instagram, alongside a shot of Loretta playing guitar on the same stage decades before.
She previously appeared on the Opry stage alongside Lukas Nelson (son of Willie Nelson) during her grandmother's memorial show on CMT in October 2022, performing a rendition of Loretta and Willie's duet 'Lay Me Down,' which was released in 2016. The performance garnered Emmy a nomination for Performance of the Year at the CMT Music Awards in 2023.
Emmy's track 'Skinny' was available on all music outlets a year before her 'American Idol' audition. The song, which chronicles her difficulties with compulsive eating, was created in collaboration with The Song House, a Nashville-based songwriting collaborative.
Song House posted a TikTok video of Emmy singing a verse from 'Skinny' in August 2023. The song was officially released on September 15, 2023, along with an official music video featuring Emmy.
Emmy's most recent song, named 'Break Up Song,' was released in 2024. As of February 2024, she had more than 21,000 monthly Spotify listeners.
'American Idol' Season 22 airs on Sundays at 8 pm ET on ABC