American Idol Fans Still Not Over Lainey Wilson's Controversial Finale
The rising country star shone in the finale.
In 2019, Laney Wilson burst onto the country scene with a bang. Her EP from that year captivated millions of fans across the nation, who played it on repeat for months on end. After such success, Wilson became a true rising star in country music, releasing a full-length album in 2021 and touring the U.S. American Idol's decision to invite her to perform with the Season 21 finalists seemed like a perfectly appropriate choice.
However, no one expected her performances to have such an impact on the audience.
During this season's finale, Wilson was invited on stage twice. Her first performance with Marybeth Byrd and Warren Peay singing Heart Like a Truck was met with mixed reactions from fans.
While most viewers enjoyed the chemistry between Byrd and Wilson, praising their incredible voices and describing their connection as sublime, some were disappointed that Peay was sidelined from the song, only appearing towards the end and contributing little.
'Warren got the shaft! I only watched as long as I did for His performance! He got like 45 seconds,' a fan said.
Furthermore, other viewers simply didn't appreciate the song itself, arguing that the lacklustre country anthem was not worthy of being sung in the finale of such a fantastic season, undermining both the audience's impression of the show and the singers' image.
'Heart Like a Truck is truly one of the most boring songs I've ever heard get so much air time,' another fan argued.
However, Wilson's next song, Save Me, which she performed with Jelly Roll and Oliver Steele, received much more praise from the audience. Fans appreciated how Wilson was careful not to overpower her co-stars with her majestic voice.
On balance, though, fans loved the Season 21 finale, arguing that Iam Tongi winning the American Idol title was the best possible outcome, while the performance of a couple of country tracks during the finale reassured fans that the producers always will remember how much American Idol viewers appreciate this music genre.
Source: Reddit.