Making her grandmother very, very proud.
The 22nd season of American Idol kicked off a couple weeks ago, and last night, Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter Emmy Russell auditioned for judges and gave an impressive performance of an original song called “Skinny.”
She tackles the subject of eating disorders head on, saying poignantly in the first verse and chorus:
“Haven’t eaten in days,
God I hate how you made me,
So scared to confess,
Been so hard to undress lately,
These over t-shirts don’t work like they used to
Sleeping on scales, it’s just what I’m used to
Haven’t eaten in days
God I hate how you made me”
The Nashville native clearly got the songwriting knack that her grandmother possessed in spades, and judge Katy Perry told her she’s “got the gift”:
“Emmy, you’re an A-plus songwriter. So was your grandma, you got the gift. I don’t think you need to compare yourself to what grandma was… you’re totally different. You shouldn’t give yourself all that pressure.”
Lionel Richie agreed, telling Emmy she has great promise as an artist:
“My dear, you have promise, and I like your promise. Each one of us is trying to battle something that we’re trying to overcome. In your case, you have big shoes.
Now if I can just get you to put those shoes back in the closet, that’s not your size.”
Luke Bryan touched on her confidence and how she needs to learn how to “own it,” which was a theme in most of the audition and the judges commentary.
Emmy is 24-years old, and while she grew up singing some on stage with her legendary grandma, it’s a totally different thing to become a solo artist and perform your own original songs. Of course, learning that will come in time, and seeing as Emmy got three “yes” votes from the judges, she’ll have plenty of help honing her craft in Hollywood and I think she’ll go far in this competition.
You can see in their expressions how impressed the judges were when she hit the first note, and you can watch Emmy’s full audition below:
Emmy perviously performed alongside Willie Nelson’s son Lukas during the CMT TV special Coal Miner’s Daughter: The Life And Music Of Loretta Lynn after her passing in 2022.
It was an incredible performance and one I will never get tired of watching… do yourself a favor and check it out:
