“They did have preconceived notions:” American Idol contestant Baylee Littrell opens up about being part of the competition

American Idol cast member Baylee Littrell was eliminated from the show after making it to the Top 20. As fans already know, Baylee is the son of Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell. In an exclusive conversation with US Weekly on April 25, 2025, Baylee reflected on his journey and how his dad influenced his music.

He also talked about the struggles he faced being part of the competitive series. Baylee said:

“It was hard to make friends, and it was hard for people to understand me because a lot of people, they did have preconceived notions of how I would be. And that’s one of the emotional parts of leaving is finally people get to see who you are. And finally we kind of set our differences aside or our assumptions of each other and all just started to bond.”

American Idol cast member Baylee Littrell reflects on his elimination and the journey in the competition

During his interview, the American Idol cast member shared that he struggled to make friends with his fellow competitors at first. Even though Baylee had a "great experience" on the show, he felt that it was "tough" to develop a connection or a bond. He opened up about his feelings, stating:

“When I left I was like, ‘Man, I’m just now starting to know everybody and it’s so great,’ but it was tough at first. I was kind of alone. I didn’t have any friends."

Soon, Baylee became friends with Olivier Bergeron, who also faced elimination after making it to the Top 20. The American Idol star shared that he and Olivier were best friends now. He continued:

"He’s pretty much my best friend now. He’s French Canadian, he’s from New Brunswick, and so we became friends during the whole process and we’ll be buddies for life."

Baylee also addressed her father's impact on his love for music and how it helped him develop a music style. However, according to him, the main purpose of joining a singing reality TV competition series was to build a separate path. Baylee had previously shared during his audition episode that his dad's legacy opened "a lot of doors" but also created "a lot of animosity."

During his conversation with US Weekly, the American Idol contestant further elaborated on exploring his identity as his "own artist", he said:

“I think my whole purpose on the show was to get out of the monopolization, even though it was constantly thrown in my face and it was just more about being my own artist, my own person."

While recalling his moments on the reality TV show, Baylee admitted that he wished he had done things differently. He stated that he should have been less scared and more confident during his time on the show. Baylee mentioned:

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"As a musician, I feel like it’s the same almost with athletes, you always just replay the things you could change, and we don’t watch highlights, but we watch our performances back and see the things we can do differently.”

All previous episodes of American Idol are available to stream on ABC. Fans can follow Baylee on his official Instagram account to stay updated on his next projects.

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