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ABC/Josh VertucciAmerican Idol returns for its second year on ABC on Sunday, with Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry back behind the judges’ table.
This year, Luke will be watching more closely when Idol airs, because he’s realized a huge part of the show — the videos with each contestants’ back stories — is added after his part is recorded.
“We don’t get to see all that,” Luke tells ABC Radio. “We hear small tidbits of maybe some stuff from their past, but we really, truly don’t get to dive into the stories until we get to watch it on TV.”
This season, Luke says now that he, Katy and Lionel are comfortable in their roles, it’ll be easier for viewers to focus on the contestants, and not them.
“I think you can tell this year that… everybody’s locked in,” he tells ABC Radio. “We understand exactly what we wanna go for, what we wanna do. And it just makes it exciting.”
“I think what [makes] American Idol…so special…is just telling the story of these kids and the backgrounds and where they come from.”
Meanwhile, current Idol champ, Maddie Poppe, crowned last April, offers some advice for this year’s hopefuls.
“I would just say, ‘Be yourself,'” she tells ABC Radio. “I know that sounds really cliche…but it’s what got me where I am. And honestly, I stuck to my guns this whole past year, and I know that I wouldn’t be happy if I was pretending to be something I’m not.”
Maddie also reveals that last year, she taped a comedy bit with Luke, Katy and Lionel to air this season.
“I can’t really talk about it, but it’s gonna be funny — so you should watch!” she says.
Idol premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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