American Idol is no stranger to pushing certain contestant’s narratives forward on the show. 

Many fans have blasted American Idol for force-feeding Season 21 winner Iam Tongi‘s tale into every opportunity they could find. 

While it can never be proven, many have speculated that the sympathy garnered towards him aided in his victory. 

Season 22 has featured a lot of heartwarming and heartbreaking stories that have teetered on the line of overkill. 

But when Idol has a famous relative they can exploit, they take every chance to drop the name. Such is the case of Season 22’s Emmy Russell.

The granddaughter of the late Loretta Lynn, the coal miner’s great-granddaughter, has run her course, but America has yet to be rid of her. 

And in the process, great acts have fallen by the wayside. 

Emmy Russell was born into a musical life of privilege, but her talent doesn’t line up compared to her season’s counterparts. With her grandmother’s name uttered in every clip package and judge’s critique, her visibility is no longer about her as herself, it’s as the relative of a country great. Having Loretta Lynn as currency has gotten her into rooms many other contestants this season could never experience. Emmy is not good enough to win American Idol, but her legacy is great for the show.

American Idol Season 22 is one of the best seasons in the show’s history, as the talent pool has been quite extraordinary. With so much talent to choose from, America has had some very difficult decisions to make when it comes to who to vote for. With support always veering toward country acts, the final five feature three country singers and one folk guitarist, who might as well fill the country category compared to many others in the competition. With the odds being in the favor of a country winner, at this point, it wouldn’t be shocking if Emmy Russell was showered in confetti. Having knocked out so many other amazing acts, there’s a certain section of the fandom that is resentful of Emmy’s place on the show.

American Idol fans were first introduced to Emmy Russell during her audition in Nashville, Tennessee. Singing an original song called “Skinny,” the songwriter got a yes from the judges, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, and she was off straight to Hollywood. At her audition, she arrived in a sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers, likely to detract from the big reveal of who she was. With a meek demeanor, Emmy shared that she doesn’t really go out to sing that much but she just so happened to go out on the road as a child with her grandma, who, you know, just so happened to be a country singer. With a very unsubtle name-drop, the moment Emmy revealed her relationship with Loretta Lynn, Luke perked up, Lionel was speechless, and the audition didn’t even need to happen. 

They were all in on the songwriter. The show then offered a video package that included a tour of Emmy’s memaw’s house. Oh, and she just so happened to have inherited Loretta’s guitar. Emmy’s story line was that she wanted to own her voice. And as much as the desire was there, American Idol pushed her famous relative’s narrative throughout her tenure on the show instead.

Emmy’s journey this season has been steady. She’s never been bad, but she’s never been great. Often marching to the beat of her own drum, Emmy often seemed to look uncomfortable on stage. Mostly singing country artists or original tracks, Emmy knows where she fits in the music industry, but she was always being pushed into comparisons to her grandma. When the opportunity came to perform Loretta Lynn’s signature track, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” she opted to sit behind the piano and perform her own rendition. And it happened to be her best performance. She knew the song inside and out, having immense ease on stage. And then, when she was forced into a corner to sing songs that fit other themes, Emmy went rogue, yet was rewarded for it.

Her rendition of “All the Small Things” by blink-182 was confusing as she awkwardly turned a notorious head-banger into a melodic bore. In the round where the artists were tasked to perform songs that made them dance, she opted for Walk the Moon‘s “Shut Up + Dance,” sat behind the piano, and somehow managed to make the lively song the least dance-worthy song ever, removing everything fun about it. But as long as America is reminded about Loretta Lynn, Emmy is safe. During the Top 5 reveal show, the judges’ critiques for Emmy almost felt like consolation comments, thanking her for her journey while wishing her the best. It almost appeared as if they expected her to go. And yet, Julia Gagnon and McKenna Faith Breinholt were incorrectly sacrificed for Emmy to faintly attempt her hand at two Disney songs on the upcoming night of competition. As the highest-profile competitor this season, if Emmy should win, it’s evident why.

There have been a handful of American Idol hopefuls that have had famous relations, but Emmy has survived the longest on American Idol when it comes to artists with a relative in the music industry. Emmy Russell was born into a musical family. While Loretta Lynn is the most famous face in the family tree, many of Emmy’s relatives have succeeded in the world of music. Coming from a musical family, music is in Emmy’s blood. While it’s not certain how Emmy’s journey as a rising artist in Nashville has been, having a resume with strong references certainly helps when the doors open for her.

Like we’re doing here, coverage of a television program is common. All press is good press as they say. But it appears that some contestants in this year’s group have made the front pages of high-profile entertainment websites more than others. Emmy has been the source of many articles from various media outlets. And it’s not necessarily to praise her as an artist on the show. It’s perhaps because the article could include the opportunity to use Loretta Lynn in the header. With articles from the likes of People to Rolling Stone to Entertainment Weekly, no other contestant has had consistent coverage like Emmy. And that’s because they don’t have the currency Emmy has. Visibility is quite crucial in voting-based programs. While there may be American Idol faithfuls who follow along week after week, for those casuals who tune in on occasion, they might be drawn in because of the articles that appear on their screens.

In recent years, the idea of Nepo Babies has infiltrated pop culture. It’s become a question mark when trying to value someone’s worth in the world of entertainment. While it’s not unique simply to this industry, some individuals just have it easier than others. For Emmy Russell, there is talent in that girl. It just might not be as a future recording artist. Her ability to write a song is almost as good as her fellow Season 22 contestant, the blatantly robbed Kayko. Emmy should use her talent to be a songwriter for individuals who can be a star on stage.

American Idol airs Sundays at 8:00pm on ABC. All episodes are available to stream the next day on Hulu.

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Source: CNN