The “journey to the finale” officially gets underway on American Idol Monday night.
While superstars like Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson are seemingly too few and far between, Luke Bryan says that’s the goal he and his fellow judges still have firmly in their sights.
“It’s very important for me and Lionel [Richie] and Katy [Perry] and Ryan [Seacrest] and everybody behind the scenes at Idol,” Luke tells ABC Audio. “It’s a big reason why we sit there and do all that work.”
“We want to find, you know, generational talent that lasts [and] stands the test of time,” he continues. “And that’s what makes it worth it for us when we have contestants come through, whether they win or whether they get a lot of recognition from being on the show. It’s all about helping kids launch their platform.”
Make no mistake: Luke’s putting his money where his mouth is. He shares a manager with season 19 winner Chayce Beckham, and he’s taking Chayce on tour with him this summer. Meanwhile, Chayce’s winning song, “23,” is beginning its climb up the country chart.
“We cherish the moment,” Luke points out. “You know, me and Lionel and Katy, we don’t take the job lightly. We spend a lot of time really making sure we’re putting the right kids through.”
Monday’s two-hour episode kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Then tune in Sunday, May 21, to find out who this year’s winner will be.
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