The next generation of the Backstreet Boys is hitting the music scene — and he's making waves on one of the most popular singing reality shows.
American Idol is set to return for the 2025 season on March 9 on ABC, and folks are already curious about which hopefuls will audition for a place in the competition. After learning about R&B singer Filo receiving a Platinum Ticket, one other contestant is teasing his appearance on the show. As fans learned on Instagram, 22-year-old musician Baylee Littrell — whose dad is Backstreet Boys band member Brian Littrell — shared he'll be vying for a Golden Ticket on the season premiere episode.
"Well guys 😁 recently I had the opportunity to audition for @americanidol 🙏🏼," he wrote on February 5. "Tune in to see the season premiere and what happens on 3/9/25!"
Shortly after Baylee revealed the exciting announcement, it didn't take long for Brian to share his thoughts on his son making big music moves.
"Bubba I can’t wait!!!!! 🔥," he replied. "Good Luck we’re all counting on you hahaha 😂."
Just like Brian, fans were equally ecstatic to see what could potentially happen for Baylee.
"That's awesome! Congratulations @bayleelittrell_music 🥳🎉🎈🎊," one person wrote in the comments. "Love this so much! You’re gonna crush it!!!" another penned. "Omg! This is huge!!! Congrats!! Good luck! 🙏🏼," a different follower added.
As some fans may know, Baylee is Brian's only son and has been exposed to the world of music from childhood. What's more, Baylee has been paving his own way as a country music artist, releasing his first single "Don't Knock It" in 2018. He also has sung duets with his dad over the years, and the two even performed together on CMT in 2020. What's more, Baylee also made an appearance on the Today show in 2019, singing his song "Boxes."
So, how does Brian feel about Baylee taking this step in his music career? As he told TODAY.com on February 14, he's super excited to see how Baylee fares on American Idol.
"[Baylee] was just texting me last night, going, 'Dad, dude, how do you do this? Like, it’s hard work,'" he shared with the outlet. "He’s been busting his butt, and I’m super proud of him. He kind of gets a new sense of reality of what this is."
Congrats, Baylee, and good luck!
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
