‘American Idol’ Contestant Huntergirl Stuns with Miranda Lambert Cover
ABC’s American Idol returned on Monday evening (April 18) with the results from America’s vote and Huntergirl earned a spot…
Huntergirl; Photo by ABC, Eric McCandless
ABC’s American Idol returned on Monday evening (April 18) with the results from America’s vote and Huntergirl earned a spot in the Top 10.
Donning a black leather fringe jacket over a sparkly brown dress, Huntergirl celebrated the good news with a performance of Miranda Lambert’s “Vice.” Released in 2016, “Vice” served as the lead single off Lambert’s The Weight of These Wings album and was her first new release following her highly publicized divorce.
“Another vice, another call/ Another bed I shouldn’t crawl out of/ At 7 AM with shoes in my hand/ Said I wouldn’t do it, but I did it again/ And I know I’ll be back tomorrow night,” she sang alongside a live band.
Huntergirl has been a standout contestant throughout the 20th season of American Idol. After she auditioned with a cover of Rascal Flatts’ “Riot,” Huntergirl was deemed a “new age Miranda Lambert” by Luke Bryan.
Huntergirl was the first contestant of the season to earn the coveted Platinum ticket and has previously covered songs like Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” Ashley McBryde’s “Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” and Rascal Flatts’ “Banjo.”
For her Top 20 performance, Huntergirl impressed the judges and viewers alike with an original track called “Heartbreak Down,” which is featured on Huntergirl’s recently released EP, One Day.
The judges praised her songwriting skills and Bryan even told her that he felt like he was listening to “the dadgum country radio.”
Throughout the season, Huntergirl has openly spoken about working with Veterans in music therapy. She explained how she helps them overcome PTSD through music and songwriting.
“Songwriting is a huge part of my life,” the Tennessee native and Middle Tennessee State University alum shared and promised to dedicate her life to singing songs for people who need to hear them.
Following the announcement of the Top 10, the Idol judges had the opportunity to save four contestants who didn’t make the cut, including Mike Parker, Allegra Miles, Tristen Gressett, and Jay.
The remaining 14 contestants will receive advice from Idol alum Gabby Barrett when American Idol returns on Sunday, April 24.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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