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'American Idol' Season 22 fans slam ABC judges for praising Emmy Russell's 'out of tune' performance

Fans of 'American Idol' believe Season 22 contestant Emmy Russell sounded 'pitchy' during her execution

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: Emmy Russell performed Bonnie Raitt's 'I Can't Make You Love Me' on Season 22 of 'American Idol' on Sunday, April 21. While the ABC judges her performance charming, viewers disagreed, accusing the singer of being "out of tune."

Gene Simmons used a jump scare to ease Emmy's anxiety. She claimed it worked!

She received several remarks, such as "Leave to your grandma." However, she was still tense and pitchy in some areas.

Luke Bryan described her voice as "so listenable" and claimed she gave him "full-body chills." Lionel Richie stated, "That was great." Katy Perry added, "You’re not competing against any of those people. You’re competing against yourself. Tonight, you won."

Fans, however, believed Emmy sounded "pitchy" during her performance on Sunday. On X, one fan wrote, "The bottom should be Emmy."

Another user said, "Another weeper from Emmy. So weepy. She’s like a cat on a cloud singing to a blue moon. Pretty tho but not my cup of tea." One user pointed out, "Emmy didn’t sing a rock song either!" 

Another fan wrote, "Emmy is sooooo annoying plz go home." While slamming the judges, a fourth user wrote, "These judges are paid millions and they can’t give constructive criticism. Emmy is cute, and I hope she does well in country music, but that was not her best performance."  

One user noted, "Hearing Emmy sing out of tune, it’s like we need a judge to keep it a little real about their performance." While another added, "This performance makes me realize Emmy can’t sing lol her pitch and control needs work. I said that at her audition though she could’ve used another year to work on her voice."  

Some fans felt, "Judges must be hearing something that I’m not when it comes to Emmy tonight." "Emmy that performance was terrible but they will send you through bby," wrote another.

Who is Emmy Russell on 'American Idol' Season 22?

Emmy competed in season 22 of 'American Idol'. Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, she was 24 when she auditioned for the program in 2023. Emmy is a musician who appeared at Nashville's legendary Grand Ole Opry in April 2023.

Emmy's parents are Patsy (Loretta Lynn's daughter) and Phillip Russell. They were married in 1998 and have six children; thus, Emmy has five siblings.

After receiving a golden ticket to Hollywood for her Idol audition, Emmy continued to impress the judges in the following weeks. She advanced to the top 24, where viewers were given the chance to vote. Emmy secured her spot in the top 20 on the April 14, 2024, episode.

Emmy Russell opens up about her relationship with Loretta Lynn in 'American Idol' audition

Following her 'American Idol' audition, which aired in February 2024, Emmy disclosed her relationship with Loretta. She admitted to the judges, "I don’t really sing out as much anymore, but growing up, I sang on the road. "My grandma’s a country singer, so I kind of grew up singing."

The judges were taken aback when Emmy mentioned Loretta when Luke asked her to name her grandma. Emmy said, "I think there’s a reason why I think I am a little timid, and I think it is because I want to own my voice." "I want to own it. That’s why I want to challenge myself and come here."

During CMT's Coal Miner's Daughter: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn program in 2022, which aired shortly after the passing of the famous musician, Emmy honored her grandmother by taking the stage. At the event, Emmy shared the stage with Lukas Nelson, the son of Willie Nelson.

The two sang a duet of Loretta and Willie's song "Lay Me Down," which was included on Loretta's CD from 2016. In 2023, their performance was nominated for Performance of the Year at the CMT Awards.

Emmy had already performed on stage several times over the years with her grandma, so she was no stranger to the spotlight at this point. Loretta gave Emmy some really helpful advice before she passed away at the age of 90.

"While performing, I would sing one song everyone knew, which was ‘If I Die Young,’ and then I’d sing an original song,'" Emmy stated in an interview. "Memaw always told me to do that because everyone wants to sing along with you. But then, if you want to share your heart, do that too, but not too much."

Emmy Russell performed an OG song on her eating disorder during 'American Idol' audition

Emmy sang an original song named "Skinny" during her 'American Idol' audition. The song was initially released in August 2023. The song, talks about overcoming an eating condition, with lines like "God, I hate how you made me, I haven't eaten in days."

Emmy posted a picture of herself exercising at the gym on Instagram in May 2023, accompanied by a caption detailing her journey of healing and recovery. She added, "Super grateful to finally take on these lies I told myself my entire life!"

"I don’t wanna be skinny, I wanna be strong. I wanna be alive. Growing up my entire life I was so insecure about my body over words about my weight and the way I dressed in school… it’s all lies."

'American Idol' Season 22 airs on Sundays and Mondays at 8 pm ET on ABC