Millennials like myself who grew up waiting for *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees to come on TRL and who continue to reach top volume with renditions of “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” got a treat when they tuned into American Idol on the 2025 TV schedule. Baylee Littrell, son of the Backstreet Boys’ Brian, was a contestant on Season 23, and while the proud pop got emotional talking about his son’s journey, I love bandmate AJ McLean’s reaction just as much.
American Idol Season 23 was a big one in the singing competition’s history because it saw Carrie Underwood replacing Katy Perry as a judge 20 years after Underwood’s own victory on the show. Amongst those who auditioned in front of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and the Season 4 winner was 22-year-old Baylee Littrell. But it turns out that wasn’t the path to fame his dad had originally pictured for him. Brian Littrell told Parade:
To be honest with you, I didn’t want him to do it at first, but they courted him for a couple of years. They were like, ‘Come and audition,’ and he was like, ‘Nah.’ I don’t think he was ready at that time, but he did well. He stepped up. He’s super professional. He’s just a great individual. He’s just a great person. He has a heart of gold, and he’s super talented.
It’s easy to understand why Brian Littrell might have been wary of Baylee going on American Idol, especially given the reaction Carnie Wilson’s daughter Lola Bonfiglio received. It sounds like it was ultimately Baylee’s choice though, and he rode the opportunity to the Top 20, where some major cuts were made.
The whole thing still makes Brian tear up, as he said:
I get choked up a little bit when I talk about my boy. He’s just [the] most inspiring thing in my life right now. He inspires me more than anything. Top 20 isn’t a bad thing out of 124,000. Let me just take this shameless plug really quick: His first single comes out [July 24]. It’s called ‘Hey Jesus.’ Check that out.
There’s no shame in this dad’s game, and it makes me smile to hear just how proud Brian Littrell is of his son. It’s not just Brian, either, but the rest of the Backstreet Boys, who were together long before Baylee came into the world. AJ McLean admitted to “bawling his eyes out” when he watched Baylee on American Idol, saying:
We’ve known Baylee his whole life, so to watch him come from singing with us during soundcheck to opening up for us back in the day to now, having his own career… He’s an incredible songwriter. It’s unbelievable, the level of talent. Obviously, the apple didn’t fall far. Honestly, he did fantastic in my opinion.
How cool would it be to have the Backstreet Boys as a pack of dads? Baylee Littrell may not have made it to the end of Season 23, but hopefully, American Idol was an experience that he learned from in his budding career.
As for whether or not we’ll see more celebrity kids when the singing competition returns in 2026, only time will tell, and as of now, we don’t even know who the judges will be. Rumors have circulated that Carrie Underwood may be leaving American Idol already, so we may see a new face on that side of the table. If you want to relive Baylee Littrell’s American Idol journey, Season 23 is available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
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