Heavy/ABC "American Idol" season 22 judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan
The stage is set in Hawaii, where “American Idol” contestants who have made it through the first rounds of Season 22 — the seventh to air on ABC — are ready to compete at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa.
The Top 24 hopefuls have been busy prepping for their performances and received guidance from just-announced celebrity mentors Tori Kelly and Jelly Roll, per ABC Audio. It’s all being filmed for the upcoming season, which begins airing on ABC on February 18, 2024.
Here’s what you need to know:
Here’s What’s Happening This Week on the ‘American Idol’ Set in Hawaii
According to On Camera Audiences, which coordinates live audiences for TV shows including “Idol,” the Top 24 contestants are scheduled to perform their songs for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan on February 7 and 8. The outdoor concerts were scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m., with half of the contestants performing each evening for a standing-room-only crowd.
Though the judges allowed a Top 26 in 2023, they’ve returned to having 24 contestants perform in Hawaii, according to Idol Pad — which has published accurate results spoilers for years.
Though the judges will provide feedback after each performance, it’s the first time in the season when the fate of the contestants is not in their hands. Once the Hawaii performances air — likely in late March or April — viewers will get to vote for who moves into the Top 20. Those contestants will then begin filming and performing in the live episodes.
In between filming, the judges and host Ryan Seacrest get to hang out together in Honolulu. On February 7, acclaimed sushi restaurant Bar Maze posted a photo of Bryan and Perry with members of their kitchen staff, and indicated Seacrest and other crew members had been with them, too.
In April 2023, Entertainment Tonight shared an interview done with the cast as they were filming Season 21 in Hawaii and Perry gushed about how she “always” brings her family, including her daughter Daisy, who’s now 3.
“She went to breakfast and met Minnie and Mickey and she’s not scared at all,” she said excitedly. “‘Cause last year, she was only a year and a half, and Mickey, she thought was a cow ’cause it’s black. She sang with Moana, I sang with Moana, it was amazing! You know, I think (the love for Disney) is subliminal. I accidentally named my daughter after Daisy Duck!”
JellyRoll & Tori Kelly Announced as Season 22 Guest Mentors
Heavy/GettyNew “American Idol” guest mentors for 2024, Jelly Roll and Tori Kelly
To prepare for their performances, contestants got to meet with a celebrity mentor, as they have in past seasons. The mentors in Hawaii are country star JellyRoll and Grammy-winning R&B songstress Tori Kelly, who was once a contestant on “Idol.”
Though JellyRoll, 39, has been playing music for two decades, he skyrocketed to success over the last year. His song “Son of a Sinner” reached Number One on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in January 2023, and another popular tune, “Need a Favor,” became the first to reach the top 10 on Billboard’s rock and country charts in June 2023.
JellyRoll appeared on the season 21 “Idol” finale with Lainey Wilson, when they sang their duet, “Save Me,” which was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance. He also sang “Need a Favor” with finalist Oliver Steele on the show.
Kelly, now 31, auditioned for Season 9 when she was 16 years old and made it to Hollywood Week. After getting eliminated from the show in 2010, she released her debut album, “Handmade Songs, two years later, according to Entertainment Tonight. The singer’s follow-up album, “Unbreakable Smile,” became gold-certified and she’s since won two Grammy Awards. Kelly also provided the voice of Meena the elephant in the animated “Sing” movies, per Billboard.
In July 2023, Kelly made headlines when she collapsed at a Los Angeles restaurant and was in a coma for several days, suffering from blood clots in her legs and lungs. In October, she told fellow “Idol” alum Jennifer Hudson on her talk show that despite a “scary few days” in the ICU, she is feeling good.
Season 22 of “American Idol” kicks off on February 18 on ABC.