‘American Idol’ Favorite Emmy Russell Sends Fans Into a Tailspin With “Classified” Social Media Post

Emmy Russell stepped onto the set of American Idol determined to own her place in a rich family legacy. The granddaughter of country music trailblazer Loretta Lynn did just that during her season 22 run. Although viewers eliminated Russell just shy of finale night, the 25-year-old Tennessee native had already staked her claim. And she’s already shown that American Idol was just the beginning, releasing her original tune “Redemption” last month and teasing another self-penned track on social media. And now, a vague social media post has fans speculating about Russell’s musical future.

Is Emmy Russell Making Music With This Nashville Producer? ‘American Idol’ Minds Want to Know

Tyler Ward rose to fame posting a mix of covers and original songs to YouTube. Since then, he has completed five headlining tours and performed with the likes of Switchfoot, the Jonas Brothers, and more. Ward’s latest venture is Nashville’s Song House, a pop music incubator that uses TikTok and other social media platforms to test market new songs and artists.

On Sunday (June 9), Russell shared a pair of mirror selfies with Ward to her Instagram account. “Classified. For now…” the singer-songwriter captioned the post, which was set to Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good.”

It seems Russell left the specifics of her pairing with Ward deliberately vague. Is this a business partnership? Creative? All of the above?

Fans flooded the comments section with speculation. “Aaand…we’re totally ready for some beautiful duets!” one Instagram user commented.

Another fan wrote, “TYLER WARD !!!!! I HAVE BEEN WAIIITTTTINGGG FOR HIS TIME TO TRULY SHINE! i have watched his videos on youtube since i was little. my family loves his talent !! This is a perfect duo !! can’t wait to see more of you two!!”

Sam “Kayko” Kelly-Cohen, Russell’s fellow Top 10 finalist, commented unhelpfully, “Dynamic duo.”

Tyler Ward Has Also Worked With This Reality TV Champion

If it turns out Russell and Ward are cooking up new music, it wouldn’t be the first time the producer has worked with a reality show finalist. Last month, The Song House Co collaborated with Michael Huntley, The Voice’s season 24 winner, on a track called “Welcome to the Lonely.”

“Can’t believe I had my first writing session in Nashville! And the fact it was with @tylerwardmusic who I’ve been a mega fan for years (it was insane to watch him work)” Huntley wrote in a May Instagram post.

The Song House also shared a video of Huntley’s songwriting session to its official Instagram account. Russell left two comments. The first read, “Melody/ lyric/ heart great.” Below, she wrote, “Special sauce special sauce.”