Luke Bryan Defends American Idol Season 23 Amid Signs The Show Needs To Be Retooled (Carrie Underwood Isn’t The Issue Anymore)

Amid a lot of fan discussion over whether the singing competition show needs to be retooled going forward, Luke Bryan defended American Idol season 23 while appearing on a talk show. American Idol season 23 introduced various changes this year, including the addition of Carrie Underwood on the judging panel, Jelly Roll becoming the artist in residence, and various formatting changes during Hollywood Week. At first, the worry was that Carrie didn't seem like the right fit. Those worries have largely gone away, but there's still a lot of speculation over what changes should be made to improve American Idol.

Luke sat down on Jimmy Kimmel Live to discuss the current season of American Idol and the various changes that have been made, including Carrie replacing Katy, and Jelly Roll signing on as the artist in residence. Luke praised Jelly Roll's presence on the show, saying, "He can relate to these kids that come from these backgrounds that are all over the place." According to Luke, Jelly Roll has developed a "great connection" to the contestants as a result.

Luke also mentioned Carrie joining American Idol, saying that what she's added to the show has been "really special." The country music star continued to drive the point home that, despite any changes that have been made, American Idol is "still driven by the talent in the kids." Regardless of any "antics" from the judges, at the end of the day, this show is still a show about talent.

What Luke Bryan Praising American Idol Amid Criticism Means

Luke's Comments Come Amid Fan Criticism

Obviously, the American Idol judges and host need to praise the show when they're promoting it. They're not going to criticize anything about the process since that would be bad for the brand. However, after the criticism that was directed at Carrie following her performance at the U.S. presidential inauguration, the other stars of American Idol have circled around Carrie to protect her from the backlash.

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Amid talk about what needs to change on American Idol, a lot of fans initially thought Carrie was the issue. However, it appears there are larger problems going on beyond just Carrie, and, in fact, the Idol winner has brought a lot to the table in terms of insight from her experience in the competition and not being afraid to criticize someone's performance. Considering these discussions are happening on social media among fans, it's still a big deal to see Luke praise Carrie and even the show as a whole by pointing out that American Idol is about the contestants.

Our Take On Luke Bryan Claiming Idol Is Still “Driven By The Talent”

Luke Believes The Talent Has Not Been Overshadowed

Luke's comment that American Idol is "still driven by the talent" is a very pointed message. In a way, it's kind of a dig at other shows like The Voice, where the focus is largely on the celebrity coaches. His comment also comes amid criticism about how many somber backstories are featured on the show that could take away from the talent itself.

Luke wants to make it clear that no matter what, he sees the talent as always rising above everything else: the judges, the backstories and anything else sucking up the cameras' attention. It'll be interesting to see if fans feel the same way once the 2025 competition is over and we can look back at the season as a whole. After all, Luke is right that the focus should always be on the contestants.