When American Idol returns for a seventh season on ABC, the 22nd season of the singing competition will feature returning judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, who have sat alongside one another since 2018, along with longtime host Ryan Seacrest.
Every season of American Idol sees some subtle changes or additions to its format. Season 22, which will premiere on Sunday, February 18 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET and stream the following day on Hulu, is no different.
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This season, Idol will take viewers back to the hometown of past winners, including Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson as well as to where judges Perry, Bryan, and Richie also grew up.
Here’s a look at four things to know about S22 of American Idol.
1. Auditions Format
To help kick off S22, remote auditions took place from August 2 to September 8, 2023, along with open-call auditions to help producers determine which contestants would be invited to audition in front of the judges during season 22.
Auditions will air on Sundays and Thursdays and typically run for five consecutive weeks. This season, once the audition phase is complete, the competition will transition to Hollywood Week competitions and eliminations before moving through the final rounds in Hawaii.
Contestants who are awarded the rare Platinum Ticket will be able to skip the first round of Hollywood Week.
2. Hometown Visits + Auditions
Everyone starts somewhere, and “Home” is a big theme for Season 22 of American Idol. This season, the show will visit the hometowns of past winners like Kelly Clarkson (Burleson, Texas), Carrie Underwood (Checotah, Oklahoma), Adam Lambert (San Diego, California), season 21 winner Iam Tongi (Kahuku, Hawaii), and more for a special audition series.
The hometown visits will also trek back to where some of the judges were bred. “I think all these kids have a hometown story,” said Bryan, who will support AI hopefuls in his hometown of Leesburg, Georgia with auditions. “And so when I can go back to Leesburg I can just look around and still see a town that was so supportive of me all along the way.”
Bryan added, “I mean, my hometown has really been behind me, praying for me, looking after [me], and so going home, it always feels great.”
In a Wizard of Oz-themed promo trailer, Seacrest and the judges are searching for the “Golden Ticket” brick road of season 22. “There’s no place like ‘American Idol,'” says Perry, tapping her ruby red shoes.
Auditions will also be held in Perry’s hometown of Santa Barbara, California and where Richie was born and raised, Tuskegee, Alabama.
3. Mentors
During season 22, Jelly Roll and Tori Kelly have already signed up to serve as mentors for the Top 24 competitions, which will take place at the Disney Aulani Resort & Spa on the island of Oahu.
In 2023, Jelly Roll first appeared on the season 21 finale of American Idol and performed with his “Save Me” collaborator Lainey Wilson and AI contestant contestant Oliver Steele for a duet on Jelly Roll’s “I Need a Favor.”
4. Katy Perry’s Adieu
After seven seasons as a judge on American Idol, Katy Perry will take her leave from the show after season 22. Perry said that she was leaving the show to pursue other opportunities, including making new music.
“I love ‘Idol’ so much,” said Perry. “It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat.”
Perry first served as a guest judge on American Idol in 2010 before officially joining as a judge in 2018.
Photo: Disney/Eric McCandless
