Miranda Lambert Keeps It Real as American Idol Mentor

Miranda Lambert showcased her genuine authenticity and heart as a mentor on Season 23 of American Idol, during the Top 10's "Ladies' Night" on May 4. Lambert was performing and mentoring the Top 10 contestants and had a strong message about being yourself in the music business. "My approach to being a mentor on Idol is just tell them the truth," she shared in the behind-the-scenes interview with American Idol. "I feel like authenticity is what has gotten me this far in my career, and I want to pass that knowledge on because I think it's really important."

The advice Lambert gave played a big role in connecting with the contestants; no more so than with Mattie Pruitt, who sang a powerful version of Lambert's "The House That Built Me" and left everyone, including Lambert, in tears. "I wanted to see you, and I saw the full you," Lambert told Pruitt, acknowledging the authenticity of her performance.

Reflecting on her journey, Lambert recounted her admiration for fellow country artists and American Idol alumna Carrie Underwood. "My Idol memory is Carrie Underwood. Honestly, I remember watching her and voting for her and thinking this gal's going to go do some big stuff, and here we both are, 20 years later, still at it."

In the same American Idol interview, Lambert commended the country music community's support while emphasizing the family-like nature that inspires positive growth and is the reason for the mentorship. "When you're a young emerging artist, they [country music community] kind of act as a mentor because it's kind of a family, country music. I think I have had sort of a lot of mentors in different ways."

Her tour with American Idol has put her behind new talent and prominently displayed the lasting ties of the country music family.