American Idol is back for Season 23, and its judges have revealed the truth about contestants singing their songs. This was during an interview for The Tonight Show on March 5 with judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood.
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'American Idol' Judges Are Wary When Conestants Sing Their Songs
Host Jimmy Fallon asked the real questions that night. He wondered how the judges feel when contestants choose to sing their songs. "Do they ever do your songs, to kind of butter you up a little bit?" Fallon questioned.
The reveal isn't as shocking as you'd think, as these judges have faced many contestants who love their music. Although Underwood didn't believe it was to "butter us up," Richie doesn't always love it. "They think it's to compliment us, but some days we're praying, 'Please God, just let them be able to sing it," he revealed. "And sometimes they nail it and sometimes it goes south real fast."
It can certainly be embarrassing if a fan of yours attempts to sing your song but bombs the performance. Richie then made a joke about how Underwood's fans announce they'll sing her song, making her act unsettled and worried.
Interestingly, this will be Underwood's first time judging the show, and the first time a winner of the show has ever judged. This 42-year-old singer won American Idol's fourth season in 2005. There's no doubt that some contestants will show up having prepared a song of hers.
The Judges Are Sick Of Hearing These Songs
The judges aren't only wary of contestants singing their own tunes. In a recent exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Season 23's judges revealed what songs they're sick of hearing. One of Richie's least favorite songs to hear is by James Brown. "When they start singing 'It's a Man's World,' I go, 'Don't do it. It's not gonna work.'"
Both Richie and the show's host, Ryan Seacrest, were also tired of hearing Harry Styles' Watermelon Sugar. "We heard that how many times, Ryan?" Bryan joked about the One Direction singer's tune. "Listen, perfectly great song, but we were just like, watermelon sugar, high," he began to sing.
Despite the downers, Seacrest noted how there were many newcomers that would influence Season 23's song choices. "I've heard them say a couple times, and this is new this year, that they're influenced by Chappel Roan," he said. "That's one of the big influences this year."
