In June 2025, country star Rodney Atkins brought son Elijah onstage at CMA Fest for a special duet. As a child, Elijah inspired his dad to write the 2006 single “Watching You,” off his sophomore album If You’re Going Through Hell. Nearly two decades later, the now 23-year-old Elijah has joined Atkins on “Watching You 2.0,” an updated version of the No 1. hit. While many online loved the tender father-son collab, others just had to comment on the younger Atkins’ vocals. Fortunately, the “Cleaning This Gun” hitmaker, 56, has some prior experience in this department.
Rodney Atkins Responds to Negative Comments About Son Elijah
After dropping “Watching You (2.0)” in May 2025, Rodney Atkins teamed up with son Elijah for the song’s live debut during CMA Fest the next month. As video footage of the performance made the rounds on social media, fans had a lot to say.
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“I really miss his dad just singing that song,” one TikTok user commented. “His son really messed it up.”
While Elijah Atkins is not a professional singer like his father, some of the comments went beyond merely criticizing the younger man’s singing voice. “”People started coming out saying he had brain damage, or a speech impediment — all these things about him,” Rodney Atkins told Taste of Country. “It’s crazy. Or because he seems shy in one of the videos we did for content. He’s just shy. He’s not used to being in front of a camera or onstage.”
Indeed, the CMA Award-winning artist encouraged his oldest son not to simply copy his vocal style. “‘Sing like you sing,’” he said. “He pronounces words a little differently sometimes, similar to Post Malone, in that vein.”
No stranger to criticism himself, Atkins said that when the original “Watching You” was released, he was also flooded with negative reviews. “The first reviews I ever saw were just, ‘F you, this is horrible,’” Atkins noted. “That’s what I saw first: A ton of that.”
[RELATED: Rodney Atkins Brings Hope to the Chaos with His Cover “A Little Good News”]
Their Song Is Going Viral
Regardless of a few not-so-nice comments, many fans found themselves moved by Rodney Atkins’ full-circle moment with his son. “Wow. An award winning country singer sounds better than his son who hasn’t pursued a singing career?” one TikTok user scoffed. “Groundbreaking analysis.”
In fact, Atkins believes the back-and-forth might have sparked the song’s virality on social media. And in any case, Elijah isn’t bothered.
“He just kinda let it bounce off him. And learned to laugh at it,” Atkins said. “I told him, ‘If they love you, love them back. If they don’t, just [let it go].’”
Featured image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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