Country music is everywhere lately, from Jelly Roll to Lainey Wilson to even Beyoncé. Reality singing competition shows aren’t immune either. Country stars currently make up three-fifths of The Voice coaching panel, and Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter is a frontrunner on American Idol. However, not everyone is thrilled about the country takeover. In fact, some American Idol fans are calling for the network to give the genre its own spinoff series.
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‘American Idol’ Fans Want a Country Spinoff
Sunday’s (April 28) episode of Idol had a decidedly country flair. ’90s pop-country queen Shania Twain showed up on set to mentor season 22’s top 10 finalists. Additionally, season 10 winner Scotty McCreery returned to the Idol stage to perform his latest country hit, “Cab in a Solo.”
Emmy Russell, granddaughter of the late country legend Loretta Lynn, advanced to the top eight with a delightfully twangy spin on Blink-182’s “All the Small Things.” (Literally, she yodeled.) Another fan favorite, 15-year-old Triston Harper of Alabama, secured his spot with a cover of Jason Aldean’s “She’s Country.” And while their performances garnered plenty of online praise, many viewers wish Idol would just give the country hopefuls their own show already.
“Dear, producers!” one fan wrote on X/Twitter. “Next year take the abundance of country singers & put them onto their own night. Make an American Country Idol & leave everything else on the normal version.”
Another viewer seconded this proposition. “I agree. Not everyone is into country music and there’s so many country singers that it’s hard to differentiate between all of them,” they replied.
Another user complained, “Country Idol? This is getting boring and predictable.”
It’s undeniable that American Idol has served as a launching pad for some of Nashville’s biggest names. Carrie Underwood became a household name after winning season 4, and her career hasn’t stopped growing since. And Kellie Pickler didn’t win season 5, but the “Red High Heels” singer has done pretty well for herself post-Idol.
Viewers React After Top 10 Finalist Forgets the Words to Shania Twain Song
Mia Matthews was among this year’s crop of country talent, and the 19-year-old Alabama native has consistently delivered strong performances like Lainey Wilson’s “Wildflowers and White Horses” and Miranda Lambert’s “Over You.” Unfortunately, Mia saw her Idol dream come to an end after seemingly blanking on the words to Shania Twain’s “No One Needs to Know.”
However, the budding country stars is apparently taking her elimination in stride.
Featured image via Instagram
