Photo: ABC, Getty Images
Lucas Leon covered “It’s Your Love,” one of Tim McGraw’s classic ballads with wife Faith Hill, during American Idol’s ‘90s Night on Monday (April 6).
The 17-year-old singer-songwriter from Gallatin, Tennessee, outside of Nashville, has previously covered hits by one of his own idols, McGraw. The 2026 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee released “It’s Your Love,” his first duet with Hill, on his fourth studio album, Everywhere, in 1997. McGraw and Hill tied the knot in October 1996. They’ve since welcomed daughters Gracie McGraw, 28, Maggie McGraw, 27, and Audrey McGraw, 24. Hill was pregnant with Gracie in the “It’s Your Love” music video.
Weeks before taking the stage on ‘90s Night, Leon covered McGraw’s “Just to See You Smile.” He prepared for the performance with guest mentors Keke Palmer and Brad Paisley, who applauded the “very heartfelt interpretation of Tim’s thing. It doesn’t sound like Tim, and it shouldn’t. It sounds like you, and that’s hard to do. Differentiating yourself is the name of the game on a show like this.” Leon said at the time, “they say don’t meet your heroes, but I’m really glad I met Brad.”
American Idol airs on ABC on Monday nights from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT. It’s available to stream the next day on Hulu. Watch Leon perform “It’s Your Love” here: