'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAcACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAgIDAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAAGEQUHEgEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABREAAgAGAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAxETIVESIjH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/ALt9Y+lUNI3fQvLeu01y5IRQMfRErylKrmfvD+eNxeZf4dd8y5DHYdrMjTIHZ0YKrFh0lQx6AcYx0u8m4UdgS4BydQOouca0wGp1B9Y7j//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
American Idol season 21 will premiere on ABC this Sunday, February 19, at 8 pm ET. The two-hour-long season premiere will feature 14 singers, including Lucy Love, as they compete to proceed to the next round.
Lucy Love is a 28-year-old singer from the small town of Holly Grove, Arkansas, with a population of 460 people per the 2020 census. Lucy was turned down by American Idol producers three times before getting a chance to audition in season 21.
She will perform “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye and another undisclosed song during the audition. In a preview, judge Katy Perry praised Lucy Love, saying:
"There’s this young woman, Lucy Love. She’s singing for her life."
She is currently a single mother of two kids, who are three and two years old, respectively.
Meet American Idol season 21 contestant Lucy Love
Lucy Love, whose real name is undisclosed, has been “making songs out of anything” since she was a child. When she grew up, her grandmother took her to join the church choir. Lucy had become less enthusiastic about singing and wanted to “run the streets with my friends.” Lucy admitted that Church kept her out of trouble, saying:
"I would literally hide from the church van…but they’d catch me."
Lucy had some serious focus issues as a child and struggled with academics. She decided to drop out of Clarendon High School in 10th grade and moved to Memphis alone. At the time, she was “hopping around with friends.” After eventually getting bored, Love got her GED and enrolled in the Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in music.
She has since been making music on her own. In an interview, she spoke about being rejected by American Idol, revealing:
"Sometimes, you’ve got a purpose. You want to quit, but it doesn’t let you sleep or eat unless you work toward it. I could not work a 9 to 5 for the rest of my life. I had to do something big enough to change the trajectory of my bloodline."
She describes her voice as “sultry and versatile” and chooses to perform covers, despite writing her own music. Some of her originals include Black Man, Rain, Hold On, Love Of My Life, Under, and Hands On You.
More about American Idol season 21
Season 21 of American Idol will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest and judged by Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and LukThe aspiring Aspiring singers will audition in front of the judges, attempting to impress them and qualify for the next round, i.e., Hollywood Week. The competition will also feature contestants in the Showcase Rounds to qualify for the final 24.
The participants will then perform live in front of an American audience and look to win the maximum amount of votes that will win them the competition.
New episodes of American Idol will air on ABC every Sunday at 8 pm ET. Fans can stream the two-hour-long episodes on the network's website and Hulu one day after the television premiere.
