American Idol

American Idol returns to Hawaii this week as one of the show’s newest traditions continues: the top 24 finalists are flown to the island to perform for an audience at Aulani, a Disney resort and spa in Ko Olina on the island of Oahu, and work with celebrity mentors before facing the judges. (The season 23 panel features returning judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as well as new judge — and season 4 winner — Carrie Underwood). Once again, Billboard was on location to observe the on-camera events as well as what goes on behind the scenes. During that four-day visit, Billboard sat down with host Ryan Seacrest, the judges and the mentors to talk all things Idol.

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Over breakfast in Hawaii, executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick explained why Idol continues to bring the contestants to the 50th state. “It’s the most aspirational round of the show and it is a Disney dream for all these families to be here. Hollywood Week and the auditions are stressful. This is a celebration and the crowd that comes to the Aulani stage is unlike any other. In Los Angeles, you get the studio audience but in Hawaii people are so excited. They have the energy and every round has a separate feeling. Never again [on the show] are they going to play in front of such a big crowd, so it’s a good experience where they get to engage the audience. They’re working so hard and there’s so much on the line. America is voting. It’s a nice celebration before things get super intense for the final stretch.”

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On day three of a four-day stay at Aulani, Billboard spent the afternoon with Seacrest and the latest incarnation of the judging panel.

How has being connected to American Idol changed you?

Lionel Richie: I can answer that. Now when I’m in restaurants or walking the streets or in a mall I hear screaming and “eeking” and “mom, mom, mom, there’s Lionel!’” And I’m being attacked by the 9- to 12-year-olds. It’s the coolest thing ever. And, of course, they don’t know anything about me except I’m a judge on American Idol.

They don’t know “Three Times A Lady”?

Richie: They know “Dancing On The Ceiling.” “All Night Long.” But it’s a wonderful addition to my life.

Luke Bryan: It’s like having a looking glass into America’s youth. Without American Idol, I wouldn’t have a front row seat to the ups and the downs of America’s youth growing up in a new wave of social media, with all the positives and the negatives. I’ve developed a new appreciation for what our youth go through. It’s taught me to come from a small town in South Georgia and see the melting pot that America is. For me to be able to witness that through the youth and their stories and their differences and watching music bringing us all together, it’s been very enlightening for me.

Carrie Underwood: It’s pretty obvious how Idol has changed me and changed my life. I came from obscurity in a small town in Oklahoma. I loved to sing but didn’t really know how to get from point A to point B. From that first Idol moment on, my life was on a completely different path.

Your first time on an airplane.

Underwood: A lot of firsts. It was a launching pad and I owe it all to this show.

You’ve never forgotten it.

Underwood: No. I’ve always been a supporter and champion for Idol and consider myself blessed every single day that this is how I got my start and I’m glad to be a part of this legacy. It’s a monster show. It’s still going. It’s still changing lives. It’s incredible just to be a part of that.

Ryan Seacrest: It’s afforded me to have a long-term relationship with families across America. I take it seriously but with all the fun that I get to be in people’s living rooms over these generations now of the show and I love that. I love that companionship. I love the fact that when I see people, they feel like we’ve been friends. I love that they will walk up and shake my hand or ask me a question. They’re not starstruck. They really feel like you’re part of their crew in a way and it’s afforded me the opportunity to forge more shows and more connections with people in this country and I’ve had a chance to step back and watch people like Carrie excel and live out their dreams.

How has Carrie joining the judging panel impacted the rest of you?

Richie: We kept hearing, “She’s so sweet, so cute,” and we thought we might have a problem with her, because where’s that vicious side? And then she finally had to say no to someone. The first time, we almost had to stop the show. She said to Luke, “Do I have to do this some more?” I said, “You’ve got about a hundred more to go.” She brings a certain compassion to the show that I’m loving because she’s very caring. I always love to tell this story – she brought us a basket of goodies. Stewed okra, pickles. And I thought to myself, “That’s so sweet. She stopped by a market and she picked up one of these baskets.” No, everything in that basket was homemade. That was kind of different for us.

Bryan: Well, I think…you know, it’s funny bragging on you with you sitting right here.

Underwood: (Laughing) I’m okay with it.

Bryan: When you look at what she embodies with American Idol, she’s a big time representative of what America’s sweetheart is supposed to be and she maintains that so amazingly and she does it by caring like she does and having the kindness with the kids. It’s been fun watching her learn this role. Until now, it’s probably been a lot of scripted stuff where you come in knowing exactly what you’re going to do, but Idol makes you really work on the fly. Lionel and I had seven years to learn how to work on the fly. Carrie rolled right in here and just started picking up the role of what it is. It was always really endearing when I’d say, “Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to a kid” and Carrie would say, “Wait, we can just start telling them what to do and requesting songs?” I’m like, “Listen, you can do whatever you want to do.” I’ll tell you another thing. She’s never shied away from her spirituality and her Christian beliefs and she’s done it through music and it’s been a part of her artistry and the kids this year have showed up with more of that maybe than in years past, and that’s been something really, really special to watch. I’m sure she probably thinks, “Am I making a difference?” but it showed this year. A couple of episodes ago she asked, “Historically have people done so much gospel?” And I said, “You may be having a little something to do with that.”

Underwood: It wasn’t just gospel. They usually say something before they sing about why they want to be the next American Idol and so many of them said, “Because God put me here” and they’re leaning into that and I asked, “Has it always been like this? This is awesome.”

Seacrest: I echo everything they said and one thing she and I are very aligned on, she is punctual. She can keep a schedule and it’s a great symbiotic relationship. She likes a schedule and I love a schedule. She’s ready early. Carrie and I are standing there tapping our feet ready to go. I say it for fun, but it’s part of why she’s successful. She runs a tight ship.

Carrie, how do you feel about going from contestant to judge?

Underwood: I’m just so happy to be here. It’s definitely different, but it’s difficult. I mean, when we’re discussing contestants, “Are they going to make the top 24?” It’s a show, but it’s people’s lives and I’m like, “I was on these [contestant] boards 20 years ago and they were moving my picture around trying to see what board I was going to fit into,” so I take it really seriously.

Bryan: You said you found out after the fact where you really were [on the judges’ boards].

Underwood: They told me in one of the rounds in Hollywood Week that it was said out loud that this is not a unanimous decision, but I went through. I didn’t really care. I still got through. I don’t know who [said no] and I still don’t know who.

Bryan: It stuck with you forever.

Many of the idols who have talked to Billboard over the years are still carrying something that the judges said to them.

Underwood: Absolutely. It’s a taste of what you’re going to get afterward. In such a condensed amount of time, you learn how to sink or swim. You learn how to take those good or bad things and learn from them or make them be your motivation because you’re going to get it from everywhere else.

We are here in the middle of production on season 23. Back at the beginning, how long did you think Idol was going to run?

Seacrest: I remember when it premiered, I was getting calls from people saying, “This is different.” This is something that was standing out and after two weeks that the show was on the air, people would recognize me. I’d never been recognized in my life. I’m a DJ behind the walls and people would say, “That singing show with the judges, our family watches that. My daughter and I, we bonded over a show that we can finally watch together.” And it felt like every week that went by, something was snowballing. I didn’t know how long it would go, but certainly out of the gate, it had an impact, and it resonated with people. I was impressed with how fast it happened.

Underwood: I remember during my season, [executive producers] Ken [Warwick] and Nigel [Lythgoe] were talking to us about the show and they said, “It’s season 4. The ratings probably aren’t going to be that great. It’s not your fault. It’s irrelevant. It’s season 4,” and then that was the biggest season. And then the next one was bigger and the next one and it became a juggernaut.

Seacrest: I remember hearing when we were going on the air, “It’s a great thing you’re in primetime, but music doesn’t work on TV.” That was a comment from the business at the time, a common thought in the industry at that time. So it was a bit of a risk to go with a music show, but that’s why it worked.

Bryan: When Lionel and I came in, we remembered the years where some of the show’s identity may have gotten lost a little bit. We wanted to give Idol a new deal and a new look. Our biggest compliment we get from people is, “We can sit down and watch this with our families and not have to earmuff our kids or hold our ears.” It’s just a great family show that has heart and soul. It feels like family behind the scenes thanks to everybody who works on the show. I think that’s why we’re eight years into this next round.

Billboard also spent time with the show’s first artist in residence, Jelly Roll, and this season’s celebrity mentors, Josh Groban and Ashanti, who both mentored 12 finalists each.

Josh, when did you first watch American Idol?

Josh Groban: I’ve been watching since the first season. I remember Kelly [Clarkson] and Justin [Guarini] and this crazy idea. It was such a novel thing for TV. I came up in such an old school way, being discovered by a big-time producer who discovered a tape of mine through a friend while I was in high school – pre-Internet, pre-competition television. When American Idol started, we couldn’t keep our eyes off of it because it was new and because of that newness, there was a lot of excitement and a lot of skepticism. But there was an enormous amount of talent and it was really fun to see so many dreams on stage. So many young singers who at that point were my age that were giving it their all and leaving it up to America. I have followed it off and on throughout the entire time.

So you were watching it at the beginning of your own journey.

Groban: I really was. And so to sing with Kelly 20 years later on an album was a very full circle.

What were your first thoughts when they asked you to mentor this year?

Groban: They didn’t even mention Hawaii before I said yes. I’ve done it before, whether it’s on Idol or through my foundation, working with after school programs or kids that are just in need of that push and advice. My favorite thing about having a platform is being able to impart some small amounts of wisdom that maybe will help them escape some of the trappings that I had to learn the hard way. Even though here we’re making TV and there’s a lot of production, a lot of cameras and a huge performance element about it, the stories are genuine. The talent is genuine and the notes we give are genuine. I wish that audiences could see us when the cameras aren’t rolling – working with Jelly and the way we’re talking about what the contestants need to do. Jelly would pull me aside and say, “You’re going to see them at soundcheck tomorrow. Really watch that. Make sure he’s got that thing going on with the microphone. Just make sure he doesn’t…” We’re invested. We really care. It’s not just for TV. Because we’ve been there and we know how special this is for them and we also know that these are notes that will travel with them beyond the competition. Only one person’s going to win and the rest of them may still have careers. They may decide to not continue with music, but we can also note that having this experience will be a foundation of confidence for them for the rest of their lives and we want to make sure that the things we instill in them allow them to have that for whatever they do.

Who mentored you?

Groban: I’m very, very lucky that I had musical minds around me. I could easily say someone like David Foster, but also the late great Phil Quartararo, who really took me under his wing when he was the head of the label [I was signed to] and gave me great advice. David Foster gave me wonderful advice not just musically but also how to be. Because at 17 years old, you’re just not ready for the shot out of the cannon. Your ego is not ready. Your emotional maturity is not ready. And sometimes you need somebody to tell you the little things about how to conduct yourself in a meeting or a session, because learning the etiquette of this business is something that you don’t normally get. You get a record deal. You get a contract. You get money. You get accolades. You get criticism. You get a lot of things thrown at you that you’re not ready to handle and there is no school for how to handle all of the in-between stuff that nobody sees, which is vitally important for your success in this world. That’s another thing that Jelly and I wanted to make sure that a lot of these finalists had. The off-camera stuff. “Hey, this would be great when you’re doing this, it might be good for you to look in this direction” or “it might be good for you here.” Just giving them that, because they’re not getting that training. But I also want to give a huge shout out to my teachers. The unsung heroes were my choir teachers in junior high and high school, when I was at my most insecure. They were essential in helping me find my voice, find myself. And it just so happens that I went into it professionally, but even if I hadn’t – and this is what I love to impart with our foundation Find Your Light – it helped me as a human being. It helped me as somebody who was a little lost inside myself to realize that my voice had a place in this world and if I’d gone into veterinary medicine, which was my other dream, it still would’ve followed me.

Tell me a little more about the foundation.

Groban: Find Your Light – we are grant givers. We give grants to hundreds of organizations in school, out of school, especially in cities that really need it, communities that are under served. The first thing to get cut is the arts and more will be cut, and so we feel we have a call to action right now with this administration that we have to work harder than ever to make sure that we can help the programs that get left behind. We have raised millions over the last 10-plus years to make sure that those programs stay around. I’ll always give my time and my money to programs to help organizations find treatments and cures for ailments and other giant charities that need our help. I’ll always give that time, but my silver bullet is the arts because I’ve been there. I understand it and also because it’s fun because a little bit goes a long way. These grants, they’re asking for $5,000. Please keep our program alive for $8,000 and they’re still needing it because the government is not helping them with what they need. To be able to say yes to a hundred of those and to know that so many lightbulbs are going to be turned on because of that is the greatest passion that I have.

In 2023 you starred in a revival of Sweeney Todd on Broadway and in 2016 you played in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Any more Broadway coming up?

Groban: There’s always going to be Broadway. It’s in my blood. It was my original dream and it is now a community I feel like I’m most part of it. I feel like the music community is always going to be family to me. I am so grateful and I will always continue to make friends as I have these last couple days and continue to make music and will always enjoy doing that, but I have felt a kinship with the Broadway and theatrical community at large that has felt very, very special. But I have to take a breather when I do it, because I really commit. I’m not interested in doing the three-month stunt casting. When I go in, I go all in. Each show that I’ve done, I’ve done over 300 performances and I’m spent and then I have to go and do my day job for a little bit. But whenever I come back, I want it to be something that challenges me, challenges the audience and pushes boundaries. I don’t just want to jump from one thing to another. I really want to not take for granted the platform that I have and make sure that the things I present are at a certain level that is worthy of everybody’s hard-earned money.

Billboard also spoke with this season’s second celebrity mentor for the Hawaii shows, Ashanti.

Ashanti, have you watched American Idol over the years?

Ashanti: I never got a chance to sit down and watch every single season or every single episode, but early on I got a chance to experience it.

Do you remember who was on it when you first started watching?

Ashanti: I remember the Kelly Clarkson era. And Ruben Studdard. And Fantasia. The cool part was hearing about them performing and then watching their success in the industry. Right from the beginning with Kelly, they were off and running.

You’re here to mentor the contestants, but who mentored you as you were coming up in the industry?

Ashanti: When I was coming up, we didn’t have American Idol, so I didn’t actually have a mentor. For me, I was really just surrounded by an amazing family and a great team and obviously there were a lot of artists that I loved, but we didn’t get that American Idol springboard.

Who were the people that were most influential in your life?

Ashanti: One of my favorites is Diane Warren. With me being a writer, I witnessed some of the huge, huge records that she has written and been a part of. And one thing that was really cool about her, she wouldn’t allow people to write with her. She wrote a song called “Shine” on one of my albums and I respected it and her being a female in this very male-dominated industry.

What are some of the highlights of your mentoring sessions with this year’s top 24?

Ashanti: I had an awesome welcome. The cast sang “Foolish” as I walked on set. Who could not be excited about that intro? That was super cool. And so many of their stories were very touching and some of them were a little heavy. I was really proud that they had made it this far despite some of their environments and upbringings. Some of them were the youngest sibling or the youngest in the family, trying to provide, coming from very challenging backgrounds. It was really good to see their determination and their passion and I was proud of all of them.

Did you see any reflections of yourself in them?

Ashanti: There was one girl who told me she sang with her father and that he got her singing. I thought, “Oh my gosh, me and my dad used to sing. I got my singing from my dad.” That was a very touching moment.

Was any of the mentoring emotional for you?

Ashanti: Absolutely. Some of the song choices reflect where they came from and why. There were definitely tears. I had to hold mine back a lot because I had makeup on and it was hot. But I absolutely had to pat some tears, away from some of the contestants. And again, watching someone be so passionate and determined and pleasant after dealing with real life and understanding that this moment could change their lives and the lives of their family, it’s a lot of pressure. So it got emotional.

When you saw the contestants performing, did you notice them taking some of your advice?

Ashanti: Let me see – who took good old Ashanti’s advice? Here’s what I’ll say. Most of them attacked their performances with confidence and determination. Whether it was advice from me or Jelly, it was after having that day with us. Once they hit the stage, you saw the fearlessness and that was really important. I was happy about that.

How did you work with Jelly Roll when you were mentoring?

Ashanti: So well. Me and Jelly have great chemistry. We took the flight together from Los Angeles to Hawaii and Jelly was singing the ABCs with my baby. We had met last year backstage at one of his shows. He told me, “I’m such a big fan and I love your music. This is so cool.” He had asked my husband [Nelly] to perform, so we were backstage and he’s just the sweetest, coolest guy. So down to earth and so humble. I’m really happy for Jelly. His career is just going up above.

Finally, Billboard sat down with Jelly Roll for the second year in a row, this time to discuss his new role as the series’ first artist-in-residence.

We last talked here in Hawaii in 2024 when you were one of the celebrity mentors for season 22. What were your thoughts after working with last year’s top 24?

Jelly Roll: I immediately told my publicist, “We’ve got to go back. We’ve got to figure this out. We’ve got to do that again.” I already hated that I only got to work with half of them, so I was watching the show all year thinking, “I wished I worked with that kid. I might’ve been able to…” Don’t get me wrong, Tori [Kelly] did great with them. I love Idol. I’ve been an Idol fan my whole life. Who doesn’t love watching a kid’s dream come true on national TV and that’s what we get to watch on this. It’s Disneyland every day. To come back this year and have a full-time position with the cast is really great.

What is your role as artist in residence?

Jelly Roll: I’m glad we’re talking about this, because I look at my role probably different than anybody else does. I think that I am the bridge from these young artists to the people’s living room. I think that sometimes I am a bridge between them and the judges. I’m a constant mentor. I’m a constant source of advice, but more than anything, my job is to try to make these kids feel as good as I know they sound.

Are you working with this season’s celebrity mentors as well?

Jelly Roll: This is even cooler, man. They let me come in and work with the mentors this year to mentor the kids and it gave a leg up because instead of them reading a sheet of paper about what’s going on with these kids, I was able to introduce every kid to each mentor and say, “Hey, this is what they’re doing. This is what they’ve been doing. This is what their Hollywood Week looked like. This is what they’re struggling with behind closed doors. This is what they told the producers. This is what they’ve only told me.” I call them my little babies. They all love me. They listen to me. I listen to them too. We spend as much time talking off camera as we do on.

I’ve heard people talking about “The Jelly & Josh Show.” What’s up with you and Josh Groban?

Jelly Roll: The Jelly & Josh Show should be a show. You’re talking about an unlikely couple. You know what I’m saying? We instantly had a bromance. It was really cool. I knew who Josh was. Who doesn’t? What an iconic voice. All the Broadway stuff. Just what a big deal. But I didn’t know at which intersection we would meet and it happened immediately, dude. We were great mentoring together because Josh is a true classically trained musician. I mean his instrument, his voice, is one of the best ever. He hears things totally different. His ability of range singing, how to get people in and out of stuff with that is great. That’s a skill set I don’t have. I’m an energy guy. I’m a story guy. I know these kids’ stories. I feel like I’m in their backyard with them where they grew up, I’ve talked to them about that so much. It added a really cool thing for him and me. There were moments that probably won’t make the air where we just laugh uncontrollably for a few minutes. We would start feeding off each other and doing bad jokes and they kept getting worse and worse. He’s a really fun guy.

How about working with Ashanti?

Jelly Roll: Ashanti was cool. It was the opposite of Josh, because I didn’t know Josh walking in, so we met each other and started working. Ashanti’s my friend. Me and her husband Nelly are really close. She was on the same flight I was on here, so we got to hang out and sing to the baby. She brought her six-month-old with her and I hope she lets you print this, but the cutest thing about that story was that six-month-old baby for six hours didn’t make nothing but an occasional happy noise. It was awesome. It was the quietest baby I’ve ever seen. No crying on the plane at all. That’s the first thing you say when you see a baby on a plane: “It’s going to be a great flight,” but this little boy was awesome.

The top 24 finalists will perform on the next two episodes of American Idol, airing Sunday (April 13) and Monday (April 14) on ABC. Twelve contestants will sing on each show and then viewers decide who stays and who is eliminated. After the public vote, four finalists will leave the following week as Idol begins its run of live shows.