Overview
- Judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie narrowed 127 hopefuls to 30 after single-round, live‑band performances before a 1,500‑person crowd in Nashville.
- The rebranded Music City format replaced multi‑round Hollywood Week with immediate cuts, a new Golden Room holding area and decisive sing‑offs to settle the final spots.
- The competition now moves to the Ohana Round on March 9 at Disney’s Aulani in Hawai‘i, where industry tastemakers and family feedback will help guide the path to a Top 20.
- Producers added social‑media voting this season to capture real‑time audience input, an effort showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick says is designed to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers.
- American Idol airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.