AJ McLean gushes over 'American Idol' star stepping out of musician dad’s shadow: 'He’s just beyond...'
AJ McLean has nothing but good things to say about 'American Idol' alum Baylee Littrell, the son of his Backstreet Boys bandmate Brian Littrell. Recently, McLean sat down for an interview with Us Weekly to promote Netflix’s newest music competition series, 'Building the Band,' where he will be seen as the host. During the sit-down, McLean was asked to offer a piece of advice to his bandmate Brian's son, Baylee, who recently competed on Season 23 of 'American Idol.' In response, McLean said, "I mean, I've known Baylee since he was born. I’ve known him for 22 years of his life on this beautiful planet. He doesn’t really need any advice from any of us. If anything, I’m such a big fan.”
McLean shared that he will always be rooting for Baylee as he continues to pursue a career in music following his stint on 'American Idol.' McLean added, "Last time I was in Georgia, I was in the studio with T-Pain working on my solo project, and I went to Brian’s house just to kind of kick it, and Baylee sat there and played 15 songs, all different types of music. I mean, he’s got a catalog of probably three to 400 songs he’s written that are all insanely good. He knows what he wants and he knows what’s right and wrong. He’s seen his dad go through it; his uncles go through it. He’s seen a lot in 22 years, but he’s in his own lane, and in my mind, he’s already a massive success because he is his own person. He can sing and do anything, honestly. I mean, he’s just beyond talented."
Baylee surprised Backstreet Boys fans when he took part in the latest season of 'American Idol.' During his time on the ABC singing competition, Baylee performed both original songs as well as renditions of his famous father's work. For the unversed, Baylee was one of the six contestants who failed to make it to the show's Top 14 round. Before his elimination, Baylee sang a beautiful rendition of 'Gone Without Goodbye' from his father's solo album 'Welcome Home', which was released in 2006.
While having a chat with the host Ryan Seacrest at that time, Baylee shared, "It means a great deal to us. That song is really dedicated to the tragedy of 9/11, you know, all the victims that it affected.” In the episode, Baylee also revealed that his mother, Leighanne, was "supposed to be on the second flight” that struck the World Trade Center in September 2001. "I feel incredibly lucky. It’s an emotional song. I’m just glad I got through it.”
During an interview with Us Weekly following his elimination, Baylee candidly spoke about his journey on 'American Idol' and admitted that it was initially difficult for him. “It was hard to make friends, and it was hard for people to understand me because a lot of people did have preconceived notions of how I would be. And that’s one of the emotional parts of leaving — finally, people get to see who you are. And finally, we kind of set our differences aside or our assumptions of each other, and all just started to bond," Baylee told the media outlet. Despite the hurdles, Baylee summed that he had 'a great experience on the show.
