American Idol, which aired on ABC before jumping to Hulu for streaming, is back for a sixth season on its current network and 21st overall with Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan serving as judges and Ryan Seacrest still making that gesture when he announces The show. “This is American Idol», again, for the twenty-first time. And while the reality competition veteran has lost some of his pop culture presence, he’s certainly bringing some real talent to the audition zone as the festivities begin.
Opening shot: Singing hopefuls aren’t the only ones getting a golden ticket. In a canned opening montage, we see Idol Hosts Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan receive their golden calls at the judges’ table, with each ticket bearing a “21” to signify the new season.
The gist: There will be three auditions to start the final series American Idol, and in the first, the front desk and makeshift performance area are set in Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Nashville, with longtime host Ryan Seacrest serving as a kind of talent. (Auditions were held in September, October, and November of last year.) And it might seem like Richie, Perry, and Bryan are handing out tickets to Hollywood to everyone who comes through the door, if early auditions are any indication. Haven Madison, 16, of Clarksville, TN, singing a song she wrote with her dad accompanying on acoustic guitar, urges Richie to say “artist, voice, songwriting: check, check, check” and gets immediately votes “Yes” from the other judges; Lucy Love, 28, brings down the house with her vocals as we learn about her life back home in Holly Grove, AR. and Colin Stough, a quiet 18-year-old from Amory, MS, sings “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, strums his guitar and seems to remind Bryan of himself at that age.
Idol has invested quite a bit of money in “get to know you” packages, which travel to some of the far-flung places the producers have gone for “Idol Across America” auditions. There are many tears and tributes to the contestants who were personally inspired, such as the loss of a loved one or the encouragement of a parent. But Idol he finds some time to joke around, too, with a quick segment featuring alternates from Luke Bryan and Katy Perry auditioning, a kid who says Lionel Richie is his namesake, and a teenager named Ryan Seacrest filming a unison version of “Seacrest OUT! ” money line next to the host.
As the golden tickets make their way out into the world, there’s also another wrinkle in the audition process, as the platinum ticket returns from Idol season 20. A platinum designation catapults a contestant directly into the second round of Hollywood Week and allows them to choose a duet partner ahead of the pack, an honor awarded to 17-year-old Tyson Venegas of Vancouver, BC, when the judges take a load singing and playing piano for Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.” Richie says the high school student is so successful, he sounds like an adult.
What shows will it remind you of? The voice returns to NBC this March, with new judges Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan joining returning hosts Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton. (Shelton said his season 23 The voice it will be his last.) And The masked singer is also back at Fox, if the costumed performance antics of California Roll, Medusa, Jackalope and French Hen are anything to go by.
Our Acceptance: Not everyone will make it to Hollywood. Judges don’t just push everyone, even though it seems like they do. Instead, American Idol has adjusted its editing, with significantly less screen time for wacky or otherwise improbable auditions, which used to generate social media buzz for the show during its early cycles. Instead, in the first episode, we see people come in and soar vocally, and carry themselves with such confidence, that it feels like Idol the focus is on native talent here and how to tap into it. “We’re looking for a package,” Lionel Richie tells Michael Williams, a 21-year-old singer from Ohio, and as the guy racks up his yes votes, Katy Perry compares him to Shawn Mendes and Harry Styles.
With the abundance of talent on display, it’s also worth looking into the personal stories of these hopefuls, either in the pre-recorded packages Idol produces or in moments of outbreak of organic cultivation. And in Kya Monee’s case, the show has both. The 21-year-old from Austin competed with Willie Spence in 2019 and Idol With the 2022 runner-up over, Monee dedicates her audition to his spirit as a person and performer. It’s a mix of heartache and inspiration that you couldn’t write better for a show like American Idoland certainly one of its strongest storylines as the show moves from auditions and into its Hollywood phase.
Gender and skin: Come on.
Parting shot: “These kids will keep coming.” After auditioning in three cities, Richie, Perry and Brian agree that casting their net wide has brought more talent to his halls American Idol. But there are still two audition shows left and two more platinum tickets to be given away.
Sleeper Star: Colin Stough, the young man from a small Mississippi town, offers an unassuming nature, the steadfastness of a man resigned to doing his best, and an absolutely huge singing voice, so there’s a real sense that he’s going places in the competition. After all, Noah Thompson, the guy who won American Idol last year, it had a similar story and sound.
More pilot line: “Every time that door opens you don’t know how it can change a person’s life…” A version of this line is said so many times in American Idol that can also be the official slogan of the series.
Our call: WATCH THIS. It may not be the talent it is supposed to be. But structurally, the entry of veterans American Idol it still works well as a competitive reality and a showcase for raw, hungry young talent. It is still perfectly possible for Idol for one of these youngsters to become a star.
