American Idol Announces Surprising Theme & Special Guests For Huge Easter Episode Amid Signs The Show Needs To Be Retooled After Carrie Underwood’s Debut

American Idol has big plans for its upcoming Easter Sunday episode, which will feature a brand-new theme as well as performances from some special guests. American Idol season 23 introduced Carrie Underwood as a judge for the very first time after Katy Perry left following her seven-year stint. However, the former Idol winner's time so far hasn't been without controversy. There was some backlash after she performed at the U.S. presidential inauguration in January, and then once the season finally premiered, Carrie's judging style came under fire and there was speculation the producers needed to do damage control.

American Idol season 23's Easter episode will feature performances from the Top 20 as they tackle a brand-new theme.

According to People, the episode of American Idol season 23 airing on Easter (Sunday, April 20) will introduce a new theme for the singing competition show: Songs of Faith. This episode will feature the Top 20 contestants, and fans will get the chance to vote for their favorites. They won't be the only performers, though. The Easter episode will span three hours in order to also accommodate performances from CeCe Winans, Idol alum Roman Collins, Jelly Roll, Brandon Lake and The Brown Four, as well as all three judges: Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie.

What “Songs Of Faith” Theme Means For American Idol Season 23

Certain Idol Singers Can Use Theme To Their Advantage

American Idol's Luke Bryan looks confused, Lionel Richie rests his hand on his chin, and Carrie Underwood smiles. — American Idol's Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood

While American Idol contestants over the years have performed religious and faith-based songs before, including during the current season, this might be the first time that an entire theme has been built around this particular music genre. It obviously makes perfect sense considering the episode is airing on Easter. It will be interesting to see how all the contestants tackle this theme, especially since not everyone in the competition may be religious. Every year, American Idol forces the singers to perform all different types of music, even if it doesn't align with their particular genre or style.

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For example, a country night would be an advantage for the country music singers but might be more challenging for pop singers. The flip side of that is also true: a theme centered on a huge pop superstar might prove difficult for someone who's country, just to use a couple different examples. However, great singers (and strategic contestants) are able to tackle these themes head-on and pull off unbelievable performances. Just look at country artist Noah Thompson, whose breakout performance was a cover of pop/R&B star Rihanna's "Stay," and he went on to win American Idol season 20.

Our Take On American Idol’s Special Three-Hour Easter Episode

"Songs Of Faith" Night Might Be Make-Or-Break For Some Singers

This isn't the first time American Idol has aired a three-hour episode at this stage of the competition; in fact, they did it just last year for the Top 20 as well. It's especially important to get through all 20 singers in one night this time around because the season is truncated due to the late start to the season. To help with this, American Idol season 23 has also now added Monday night episodes.

American Idol's Easter episode will be jam-packed with so many performances throughout the night. It will be a very entertaining three hours, as Idol always is. We're also heading into the part of the competition where the viewers can finally vote. In the episodes that are currently airing, the judges are finishing up their final decisions, and then the reins will be handed over to us. Any performance can make or break a contestant's chances of advancing. Hopefully, the "Songs of Faith" performances will give viewers a clear idea of who's in it to win it.

American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.

Source: People