By Mallory Mattingly
AMERICAN IDOL Season 23 saw the popular singing competition show put faith on full display, especially with its SONGS OF FAITH Easter special.
“It was a discussion that started at a dinner with the judges, some people from ABC, and myself,” AMERICAN IDOL showrunner and executive producer, Megan Michaels Wolflick, told The Rolling Stone of the special. It featured the three judges — Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie — along with all 20 contestants and some special guests.
“We watch myriad Christmas specials. We don’t ever see a faith-based spring Easter-style show. So we kind of embraced that. It was a special show, and people loved it; the ratings were pretty amazing,” she continued.
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Jamal Roberts, who won the season, grew up singing in church and released a faith-filled song titled “Still” in October last year.
Meanwhile, Breanna Nix, who took third place, traveled the country and played in churches before auditioning for AMERICAN IDOL. While on the show, she sang Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” and Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.” For the finale, Nix performed with Brandon Lake, a top Grammy Award-winning Christian artist.
So, why has AMERICAN IDOL leaned into faith?
“When we open our floodgates for auditions every spring, we don’t know what’s coming,” Wolflick explained. “We follow the lead of who comes through our doors. What is happening in music today? And that, organically, in the last couple years, has been more and more faith-based music. Not intentional, but it was resonating with the public.”
The judges and Wolflick look for contestants they want to hear again and again.
“We’ve been doing auditions for six hours. Everyone is tired. When this person walks into the room, are you going to be like, ‘yes?'” she told TV Insider. “It’s a real instinctual process. We are looking for true artists. We are a television show, but I really do feel it’s the big leagues of the music. This is a way to break into the music industry. Take Jamal for instance, who clicked a link last year and now he is going on tour with Brandy and Monica. How would he ever have access to that in less than a year if it weren’t for IDOL and auditioning? ”
AMERICAN IDOL is set to return for its 24th season on Monday, Jan. 26. All three judges will return and are ready to find the next big talent.
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