American Idolseason 23 has welcomed Carrie Underwood as a new judge on the show, but her performance has been highly criticized whileher fellow judges, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, haven’t been called out for their poor performancesin the last few seasons. Throughout the run ofAmerican Idol’sreboot seasons, viewers have gotten the opportunity to get to know Luke and Lionel as the judged the competition alongside former judge Katy Perry. Both music stars in their own right, Lionel is a legendary figure in the industry, while Luke has burst onto the country scene in recent years.
After Katy’s surprising departure fromAmerican Idolseason 22, many were curious about who would come in to fill the gap left behind. Though Katy is a big personality, many were hopeful that whoever came in to fill her role would be a bit different or bring something else to the table.American Idolseason 23was shaping up to be a completely different season with Carrie coming in as a new judge, but with Luke and Lionel still on the panel, I was curious just how much would change on the series. Unfortunately,Idolhas only changed so much.
After Katy’s departure, American Idol producers should’ve built a new trio.
American Idol Season 23 Introduced Carrie As A New Judge
She’s Facing Some Serious Backlash
Ahead ofAmerican Idolseason 23’s premiere, it was announced that Carrie would be replacing Katy in the third judge’s spot on the panel. ThoughCarrie was one of the most exciting choices for the next Idol judge for viewers, it was clear that when she was announced, viewers were a bit nervous about her capabilities in judging the competition. While Carrie wasthe winner ofAmerican Idolseason 4in 2005, it’s been a long time since she was a part of the competition, and her career has likely changed her in a lot of ways sinceAmerican Idol.
After being introduced as the newestAmerican Idoljudge, Carrie quickly moved toward the beginning of the season. While viewers hadn’t seen her judging yet, there wasn’t a lot of trust that she’d be able to fully fill Katy’s shoes. When the show finally premiered for the season, manyAmerican Idolfans were disappointed inthe way Carrie’s judging style came across. Too detached in some moments and too emotional in others,Carrie didn’t appear to be able to regulate herself as a judge, especially working with Lionel and Luke. Carrie’s had a lot of backlash throughout the current season.
Luke Bryan’s Judging Style Is Too Optimistic
He’s Not Always Realistic
Although Carrie has come intoAmerican Idolseason 23 with a lot of criticism and backlash for her performance,her fellowAmerican Idoljudges Luke and Lionelhaven’t faced the same sort of criticism. To me, that doesn’t seem entirely fair, especially because the guys have done their fair share of poor judging in their years onIdol.While Luke can be one of the more exciting faces on the judging panel from episode to episode, he’s often far too optimistic about the talent they see in the audition room.Luke’s attitude is often too soft forAmerican Idol’scontestants.
Luke’s judging has been effective in some cases, but in others he doesn’t offer enough criticism for it to seem like he’s actually found anything wrong with a performance. As a country music star in his own right, Luke may not have faced as much difficulty as some other stars because of his place in the world. As a handsome, white country star, he caters to the audience of his genre, and while he’s earned his success,he may not always be able to offer fair criticisms or critiquesto theAmerican Idolcontestants seeking his feedback on the show.
Lionel Richie’s Judging Can Be Too Critical
His Idol Judging Comes From A Wealth Of Experience
As one of the most legendary superstars to ever graceAmerican Idolas a judge,Lionel’s time in the music industryhas afforded him some of the most relatable yet unique experiences in the world. While he’s been a great addition to the show and has helped create some incredible moments on the judge’s panel, Lionel’s time as a judge has come with a few pitfalls. Though I’m not sure ifLionel should necessarily be replaced with another legendor someone similar in terms of superstardom or fame, there’s not enough criticism of the style he implements on the show.
Lionel can, at times, be too particular about the talent that’s seen onAmerican Idol,and can be out of touch with the critiques he shares. Though Lionel is speaking from a major space of experience, he’s not always the most knowledgeable when it comes to the talent he’s seeing, and it shows in the way he shares his criticisms. WhileI enjoy Lionel more than Luke in most moments, it’s clear thathe’s spent a lot of time onAmerican Idolbeing more critical than the other judges on the panel, which may not be the bestIdollook.
American Idol Should’ve Recast The Whole Panel After Katy Perry Left
They’re Missing Out On Prime Opportunities
As issues have appeared to pop up for Carrie, it’s been noticeable thatLuke and Lionel haven’t faced the samesort of criticism in their time asAmerican Idoljudges. Despite the fact that Luke and Lionel have been on the show for years, their judging has been widely accepted without criticism throughout the seasons, which has irked me when seeing people rag on Carrie for not knowing what she’s doing onAmerican Idoljust yet. Even with years of experience,Luke and Lionel still make mistakes, and their chemistry with Carrie isn’t sparking up in the way it should.
Although Luke and Lionelhave been part ofAmerican Idolfor nearly a decade, when Katy decided to leave, it should’ve been a signal to producers that it was time for the pair to move on as well. Though both have become well-respected asIdoljudges, their time on the show has been a long-ranging moment that may have come to its natural conclusion. While I enjoyed the dynamic between Katy, Lionel, and Luke, I think they were better as a trio than the guys are now with Carrie. After Katy’s departure,American Idolproducers should’ve built a new trio.
American Idolairs Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
