Baylee Littrell Says ‘American Idol’ Judge Inspired His New Songs

Baylee Littrell has followed in the footsteps of his famous father, Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys, by building a career in music. However, the former “American Idol” contestant has forged his own path, embracing a sound that feels most genuine to him. On the back of releasing a new single, “Hey Jesus,” in July 2025, Baylee shared that one judge in particular inspired him to think outside the box.

“One cool thing Carrie Underwood told me, she said, ‘Dude, you are your own genre, so don’t try to pigeonhole yourself and try to create it,'” the singer explained to Music Mayhem. Baylee is heeding that advice with his newest music by incorporating different genres into his style. “I’m still taking the elements of country where I’ve been for the last seven years and implementing that towards more singer-songwriter soft rock elements,” he said. The singer added that the process of crafting his unique sound is very exciting.

Underwood Was a Fan During His ‘Idol’ Run

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Baylee certainly had a memorable audition during Season 23 of “American Idol,” and fans learned a fun detail about Underwood from his appearance on the show. In a video from his audition, viewers got to see a photo of the “Before He Cheats” singer as a youngster, smiling with a poster of the Backstreet Boys on the wall behind her.

Baylee had big shoes to fill, and he didn’t disappoint. He sang an original song, and Underwood was blown away by his talent. “You’re really good,” she said. “Like, you’re really good.” After praising his bravery for his song choice and how well her performed, she made a bold prediction. “I think you could go very, very far in this competition,” she said. Unfortunately, Baylee didn’t make it to the end of the competition and was eliminated before reaching the top 14. Nevertheless, his future in music looks bright.

Baylee’s Journey Has Been a Fun Balancing Act

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Baylee’s new music sees him pulling from multiple genres, but that’s not the only thing the young singer is balancing. As Music Mayhem reported, the singer is also putting on live performances while still pursuing his education. Baylee announced his tour in an Instagram post, and it includes five planned shows as of this publication.

“This is my first little run of headlining venues… a lot of these places are a rite of passage for up-and-coming artists to play,” Baylee said of the upcoming shows. The first concert will be on August 27, 2025, in Nashville’s Eastside Bowl.