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American Idol standout Lucas Leon’s journey on the show has officially come to an end.
The 18-year-old singer delivered his final performance on Monday during the show’s Disney Night, closing out a run that brought him into the homes of millions and earned him a wave of new fans along the way.
Following his surprising elimination, Leon took to social media to reflect on his time on American Idol, sharing a heartfelt message about the impact the experience had on him.
“First of all, I just wanna say how thankful I am for the whole experience I had with American Idol. I made some amazing friends, learned a lot, and overall had a great time. I’ve discovered a lot about myself as a person and as an artist out here,” he wrote. “Thank you to everyone who voted and supported me along the way.”
Despite the setback, Leon remains optimistic about his future.
“Secondly, y’all haven’t seen nothing yet. I’m so pumped to hit the ground running with everything an artist does and more,” he said. “If you discovered me on American Idol, you’ve only seen a tiny bit of me and I can’t wait for all the new folks to watch me go for gold with everything I do. I can guarantee y’all will see me around.”
He ended his message by sharing his faith and gratitude for the incredible opportunity.
“Also, praise Jesus for this opportunity! He gave it all for me and for you!”
Leon auditioned for American Idol with an original song titled “Fall In Love Someday,” quickly catching the attention of judge Luke Bryan, who said the young singer reminded him of his son, Bo.
“Oh my gosh. You look like my child. Look at this. Hold on. So I took this picture of Bo the other day… They could be brothers,” Bryan said at the time.
He earned a “yes” from all three judges, advancing to the next round and continuing his run on the competition.
Throughout the season, the Gallatin, Tennessee native performed standout covers including “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles, “The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert, and “Just To See You Smile” by Tim McGraw.
For his final performance during Disney Night, Leon took on “Life Is A Highway,” originally recorded by Tom Cochrane and later made popular by Rascal Flatts for Cars.
Leon was eliminated from the competition alongside Kyndal Inskeep.
Hannah Harper, Daniel Stallworth, Keyla Richardson, Jordan McCullough, Chris Tungseth, Brooks Rosser, and Braden Rumfelt advanced to the Top 7 and will return next week for “Taylor Swift Night,” where contestants will perform hits from the superstar’s catalog in hopes of securing a spot in the Top 5. Comedian and “Swiftie” Nikki Glaser will also appear as a guest judge.
American Idol airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+ and streams the next day on Hulu.
The post Lucas Leon Reflects on His ‘American Idol’ Run After Shock Elimination appeared first on Country Now.
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Country music has always played a central role in the ‘Yellowstone’ universe. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Country music has always played a central role in the ‘Yellowstone’ universe. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Jason Aldean recently unveiled his long-awaited duet with his wife, Brittany Aldean, and now he’s sharing what their kids really think of the collaboration.
During a conversation with Cody Alan on SiriusXM’s The Highway, while promoting his new album Songs About Us (out this Friday), the Georgia native admitted their children weren’t exactly blown away by the duet.
“Well you know they hear all this stuff from like day one. You know what I’m saying? So, you know, they hear us in the car and they hear mom singing all the time. They know, you know, they’re out at shows. They’re like, ‘Mom and dad sing. No big deal. Whatever. Can I have a peanut butter and jelly?’ he said. “So I don’t think they’re very impressed by mom and dad, but hopefully they will be one day. We’ll see.”
While some might expect the couple to team up for a love song, their duet, “Easier Gone,” actually takes a very different direction.
Written by Charles Kelley, Josh Kerr, Dave Haywood, and Jimmy Robbins, the track explores the emotional aftermath of a breakup. The husband-and-wife pair trade lines about the struggle of moving on, revealing how a chance run-in can reopen old wounds, proving that sometimes it was easier when that person was completely out of your life.
Jason told Alan it would be “boring” to go the traditional route with a love song, so they intentionally flipped expectations.
“I just feel like, you know, husband and wife doing a big love song is kind of boring. You know what I mean? It’s just like, well, we’re a happy couple, but that’s boring to me. Like, who wants to hear that? So, I don’t know. I feel like I’m a little bit of a tortured soul in the fact that I like the heartache, heartbreak type songs way more than I love, like, the big love songs,” he explained. “And so I think people thought if we ever did something, it would be one of those big sappy things.”
Originally, the hitmaker planned to record the song solo, but after sitting with it, he realized it could be the perfect opportunity to bring Brittany into the studio.
“So I just kind of played it for her and said, ‘Do you like the, would you want to do something with this?”’ She’s like, ‘Are you kidding? Like, are you serious?’ And I said, well, you know, she’s never been in the studio or anything, so it was like a little bit of a trial and error thing of like, ‘Let’s see how it goes,’ you know?”
It turns out, Brittany “killed it,” according to Jason.
“She did great. And, you know, just kind of turned that song around and kind of gave it a whole new life, too, which was really cool,” he pointed out. “And I think it was something people had kind of been wanting to hear for a while. You know, our fans been wanting to hear, and something we had kind of talked about, and I really was trying to find something that would work for that.”
Another reason Jason Aldean held off on releasing a duet with Brittany Aldean was because he wanted to protect her from the harsh reality of online criticism.
“And I’m also very protective of her, too, you know? And this is a business where you get torn apart on social media and those kinds of things. And so I was always really careful about those kinds of things, and you know, I know what it’s like ’cause I see it all the time. It’s like, “Man, your singing sucks,” or whatever, you know, and you’re just like, you know, that kind of stuff. And so I’m just a little protective of her in that sense, but she went in and crushed it, man, and came out with a great record, man, so I was proud of it.”
Jason Aldean’s Songs About Us is set to release this Friday. He’ll celebrate by returning to his home state of Georgia to co-headline UGA’s Sanford Stadium with Luke Bryan.
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The Osmonds’ Alan Osmond Dead at 76
In a touching tribute post, Donny described his late brother Alan as “our leader in every sense of the word.” Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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The Osmonds’ Alan Osmond Dead at 76
In a touching tribute post, Donny described his late brother Alan as “our leader in every sense of the word.” Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Half the ‘American Idol’ couples listed here are still together. In fact, three are married! Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Half the ‘American Idol’ couples listed here are still together. In fact, three are married! Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
SoFi, a one-stop shop for digital financial services, is teaming up with the Country Music Association and Kelsea Ballerini to launch the “Amplify Your Ambitions” contest, which aims to empower the next generation of emerging artists. The nationwide search gives artists the chance to win up to $200,000 and perform at an exclusive CMA Fest concert.
Now through April 30, artists can enter for the grand prize of $200,000 or one of two $50,000 runner-up prizes. SoFi will select three finalists, and a panel of judges across music and finance, alongside a public vote, will determine the winner. Judges include Ballerini, Vivian Tu, SoFi’s Chief of Financial Empowerment and founder of Your Rich BFF, and four-time GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter Shane McAnally.
The winner will be revealed on June 4, when all three finalists perform an intimate concert in Nashville in front of the judges. Entrants will be evaluated on the originality of their sound, the creativity of their storytelling, the quality of their performance, and how they intend to use this opportunity to grow and develop in their musical careers.
“I know firsthand how much it takes to build a career in music, especially when you’re funding it on your own,” said Ballerini. “That’s why I’m excited to partner with SoFi on this. We’re looking for artists with passion, determination, and a strong sense of who they are, artists who are not only committed to their craft but thoughtful about how they invest in themselves and their music.”
The contest also highlights the reality that success in music often requires more than talent alone. According to SoFi, 75% of artists are self-funding their careers, with more than half carrying debt from their creative pursuits. Through “Amplify Your Ambitions,” SoFi aims to demonstrate how the assistance from financial tools and resources can help artists nationwide advance in their careers.
“At SoFi, we’re focused on helping people take control of their financial futures,” said Lauren Stafford Webb, Chief Marketing Officer at SoFi. “Our partnership with Kelsea and CMA reflects a shared commitment to investing in the next generation of artists and the fans who support them. As the presenting sponsor for CMA Fest, we’re extending our commitment by empowering SoFi members with the financial tools and support they need to build stability, grow their money, and make meaningful progress towards their long term goals.”
Aspiring artists who are musicians, solo artists or groups can submit entries at AmplifyYourAmbitions.com, running now through April 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Entrants must be 18 or older, U.S. residents, and have a registered SoFi account.
For official rules, please visit amplifyyourambitions.com/rules.
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