ABC
The 22-year-old's duet of "Shallow" with fellow contestant Keilene was enough to send him through to the next round -- but barely!
Baylee Littrell had made it to the top 24 ... but, as the competition gets tighter, the judging is also getting harder on the young singer.
On Monday's all-new American Idol, Baylee -- the son of Backstreet Boys singer, Brian Littrell --teamed up with fellow contestant Keilene Bultron for a duet of "Shallow" from the 2018 film, A Star Is Born.
Following the performance, judge Carrie Underwood told the pair, "Baylee, you were more comfortable singing with somebody else. It’s like we got to see a different side to you."
She also called it a "solid performance," but it wasn't strong praise across the board.
Lionel Richie, meanwhile, wondered whether the cover was on the verge of being "too powerful," with Luke Bryan seemingly seconding Richie's opinion after insinuating that Keilene was too "overwhelming" in the closing notes. The country star also pointed out that Baylee seemed "timid" in his verses.
Though the pair may have been mismatched for the duet, it was Keilene who was eliminated, sending Baylee to the Top 24.
But it came with a warning from Underwood, who told the American Idol hopeful that the decision was not a unanimous one. "It was not a unanimous decision, so moving forward, I need you to step it up!" she warned.
Baylee's advancement to the Top 24 comes after he made it to Hollywood Week with a moving original song inspired by his late grandmother, whom he called his "best friend."
"I thought she was going to be around for moments like this. I never expected to lose her, so when I did, I questioned everything and I pushed away faith … this song kind of helped me find it," Baylee lamented in a video package ahead of his performance.
Strumming along on an acoustic guitar, Baylee got the stamp of approval from more than just the judges. When the camera panned over to his famous father, the 50-year-old pop superstar was singing along.
YouTube
American Idol Contestant Brings Judges to Tears with Tribute to Late Father After Viral True Crime Tragedy
View Story"When your family's in the music business, it opens a lot of doors," he said in a confessional. "But it also creates a lot of animosity, so my big thing here is I'm here to make this on my own and carve my path."
American Idol season 23 airs on ABC Sundays and Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET.
