Country music powerhouse Jimmie Allen has his eye on the Mirror Ball trophy, as he took on The Dancing the Stars’ ballroom in full-force Monday night (Sept.27). Dancing to his very own smash hit “Make Me Want To” with partner Emma Slater, the two delivered an intimate and spicy Rumba routine.
“I am super excited to dance to my own song,” Allen admitted to the cameras ahead of his captivating performance. “[The song] was on my album, Mercury Lane – I named it after the street I grew up on, you know. Childhood memories, the good ones and the bad ones,” he adds.
Still can’t believe I got to dance to my song “Make Me Want To” with my amazing partner @EmmaSlaterDance on @DancingABC So honored to represent Country Music on this great show. Text JiMMIE to 21523 #TeamJEMMA pic.twitter.com/rAxMn5ktyp
— Jimmie Allen (@JimmieAllen) September 28, 2021
The hitmaker continued to reminisce on his unconventional upbringing, as he quickly became vulnerable with TV-goers and shared that his family had a difficult time making ends meet financially. “I grew up, and we didn’t have a lot. I remember one time as a kid. My mom was like, ‘hey, y’all, we’re going to camp out in the living room for a couple of days.’ Then found out that we lost our electricity,” the megastar recalled.
As the “Freedom Was A Highway” singer and songwriter told the chilling story, tears slowly rolled down his face, and he confessed how strong his mother was during those trying times. After realizing her bravery, her fierce focus, positive energy, and how she is a risk-taker at her very core – he was determined to take what he has learned from his strong mother and apply it to his routine.
In sparkly lavender ensembles, the two stood before the judges and live audience hand-in-hand. JEMMA began their routine strong as they looked into each other’s eyes and moved across the dance floor with their in-sync movements. From the look on Allen’s face, Dancing With The Star fans could almost tell he was thinking about his mother and trying to paint the picture.
Once they completed the emotional-driven performance, the live audience stood to their feet and cheered. “That was amazing. That was the first time this season that I actually felt my heart attach to what you were doing, says Carrie Ann Inaba. “I mean, that was… you just opened us all up, I could not take my eyes off of you, you had so much respect for the art form by the way you did every movement, I’m so impressed with you, that was beautiful. Well done,” she adds.
The other judges in the star-studded lineup agreed that the pair brought electric energy and passion to the ballroom. However, there was still room for improvement, as the country music superstar needs to focus on his technique to make it through to the finale.
“Your footwork was a little bit hit-and-miss. I know you were fighting not to step forward on your heels. I could see that,” says Goodman. “The lower half, you can see you were struggling a little bit, but the upper half…beautiful,” Derek Hough concludes.
After receiving a seven from Carrie Ann, six from Len, seven from Derek, and a seven from Bruno – Team JEMMA finished week two with a twenty-seven out of forty. Although they completed the evening with a semi-strong score, Allen recently revealed that he has some tricks and tips up his sleeve to get fans voting at home.
Click above to watch Allen and Slater’s captivating performance.
What is his secret strategy? Well, the county musician turned dancer told Audacy’s Kelly Ford in the Morning that he might break out his washboard abs to get fans at home swooning over his routines.
“I’m definitely going to make it a surprise,” says Allen. “It might even surprise my partner. She’s not even going to know when I rip it off I’m going to just get in the mood one day, [I’m] going to put a bunch of baby oil on.” He laughs.
Until the episode he flashes his dad bod on national TV, fans continue to share their ongoing support for the duo on social media. Jimmie and Emma will be channeling their internal Britney Spears next week and will be brining the heat with the Salsa.
Dancing With the Stars airs Monday at 8/7c on ABC.
