ABC/Eric McCandless
The American Idol live shows are just around the corner. On April 11, the series will move to a live format, and the top 16 contestants will be revealed, according to Deadline.
As the outlet pointed out, Idol will become one of the “biggest non-scripted series to find a way to get crowds in safely” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview, showrunner Trish Kinane shared with Deadline, “… there’s a real buzz to being back with real people with real singing and a real audience. We’ve got as many as we possibly can, and we’re hoping if things get better, we’ll be able to get even more audience in for the finale on May 23.”
She added, “It makes a difference even having the 50 people we’re allowed to have, people reacting properly. When someone hits the high note, you can’t re-create that reaction.”
Here’s what you need to know:
The ‘Idol’ Studio Has Been Redesigned
According to Deadline, the ‘Idol’ studio has been completely redesigned to accommodate social distancing. With the coronavirus guidelines in place, singers have to be 20 feet apart, and the judges also have to maintain a good distance from one another.
And what exactly is taking place in the studio?
When fans tune in for the April 4 and 5 episodes, which will feature All-Star Celebrity Duet Pairings, they may notice that contestants are belting it out in-studio.
After that, things will start to fall into America’s hands.
Kinane shared, “It seemed like this was the moment to get America involved, they’ll be voting from now on.”
Who Are the Frontrunners So Far?
And just who are the frontrunners at this point in the game?
We still have a ways to go, but a few singers appear to be early favorites, such as Casey Bishop, who is only 16. Bishop performed “She Talks to Angels” by the Black Crowes for her showstopper performance, and based on the judges’ enthusiastic applause, it appears she could have what it takes to make it far in the competition.
Willie Spence is also blowing Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry away. For his Showstopper performance, he sang, “I Was Here”, and it was enough to bring him to the Top 24.
Murphy’s Elimination
One look at the comments section of the ‘American Idol Top 24’ video, however, makes it clear that fans are upset that one person, in particular, did not advance to the Top 24. Murphy, who gave an enigmatic performance that clearly impressed viewers at home, did not make it through.
Hey @Blindboy_music you were robbed on @AmericanIdol and I would love for you to honor us by writing a song for us on #CentralParkTV – DM me
This won’t be the end of his career, though. As highlighted in another Heavy article, actor Josh Gad reached out to Murphy on Twitter and asked him to write a song for Central Park, the TV series.
Murphy was quick to respond and wrote that he was DMing the star immediately.
So, while people may not be too happy with Murphy being eliminated, he seems to have a bright future ahead.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays on ABC at 8pm ET/PT.
READ NEXT: Watch: 17-Year-Old Alex Miller’s Leaked American Idol Audition Video