Christian McGuckian Brought To Tears After Luke Bryan Says She Has the ‘Magic Country Stuff’ on ‘American Idol’

South Carolina native Christian McGuckian served up a cover of Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” on Sunday’s (Feb. 28) episode…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

February 28, 2021

8:28 pm

Christian McGuckian, Luke Bryan

South Carolina native Christian McGuckian served up a cover of Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” on Sunday’s (Feb. 28) episode of American Idol. Although she earned a golden ticket to Hollywood, her performance drew some criticism from the judges.

“Listen, you have magic country stuff going on in your voice, but you’re letting everything around you get in its way, understand?” Luke Bryan told her. “I would give anything in the world to get you to sing on time a little better, that is your biggest hurdle currently.”

After encouraging her to stop focusing on the cameras and just sing, McGuckian, who works as a maid, got one more chance to show the judges what she can do.

“You got some things to work on,” Katy Perry told her.

“You have magical things going on or we would not have dedicated all of that to you,” Bryan added. “We have these country girls singers come in here and they try to act country and sing country but you can tell, they ain’t country.”

“You country,” Perry exclaimed. “You got the talent, You just need dig in the right direction.”

Lionel Richie agreed.

“There’s no such thing as failure,” he told her. “When you win, you win, when you lose, you learn and then it will make you a better person on the other side, I guarantee you.”

Ultimately, McGuckian earned a golden ticket to Hollywood with a “yes” from all three judges.

Click above to watch Christian McGuckian perform “Girl Crush.”

American Idol returns on Sunday (March 7) at 8/7c.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

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.