American Idol
Page: 4
The final ranking of American Idol season 2 might be a little foggy to Kelly Clarkson, but in her defense, it was 20 years ago.
If there’s anyone who won’t ever forget who was first and second place on the 2003 program, however, it’s Clay Aiken, who finished the show as runner-up to Ruben Studdard — something the “This Is the Night” singer had to remind his fellow Idol alum on Monday’s (Dec. 16) The Kelly Clarkson Show.
While reflecting on their days traveling together as American Idol royalty during the competition series’ early days, Clarkson mistakenly said to Aiken, “We toured after you won — the Independent Tour, I think it was called.”
The former politician’s face then comically froze up as he corrected her through stiff lips, “After I came in second.”
Trending on Billboard
Upon realizing her error, the “Stronger” vocalist looked directly into the camera and issued a hilarious apology. “So sorry — Ruben, I totally remembered that!” she said, cracking up. “Look, I’m 42, bro. I forgot.”
Clarkson became the first-ever American Idol victor in 2002, with Studdard winning the following season and Aiken placing in second. The two men went on to stay friends and collaborators, and in 2023, they toured together to celebrate their 20th Idol anniversary. They also competed side-by-side on the 11th season of The Masked Singer earlier this year.
“I’m sure we’ll do stuff again,” Aiken told Clarkson of working with the “Flying Without Wings” musician. “We’re sort of inseparable — I think we’re better together than apart.”
The “Since U Been Gone” artist noted that she would likely be hearing from Studdard following her mixup — “He’s gonna be like, ‘I won, but fine,’” she joked — and Aiken agreed. “He will be calling me, without question,” he said, nodding.
Elsewhere in the show, Aiken performed “Do You Hear What I Hear?” for Clarkson’s audience. The performer is fresh off the release of his new holiday album Christmas Bells Are Ringing, which dropped in November.
See the hilarious moment Clarkson forgot who won American Idol season 2 above.
11/29/2024
The inaugural American Idol winner took the world by storm with her blockbuster sophomore album.
11/29/2024
American Idol alum Triston Harper is living his American dream with wife Paris Reed, who is pregnant with the couple’s first baby together. Hattie M. Sullivan, the mom of the 16-year-old aspiring singer, announced the news in a Facebook post just two days after Harper changed his relationship status on the site to reflect his […]
Benjamin Glaze, a 26-year-old former American Idol contestant, has been arrested in Oklahoma for possession of child pornography.
According to a recent post on the Tulsa Police Department’s Facebook, Glaze was arrested and booked into Tulsa County Jail on Oct. 18 after authorities found over 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his smart phone. The department first became aware of the singer’s alleged possession of the materials in April, when they “received information regarding criminal activity” about Glaze, after which the Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit obtained a search warrant for his home. His phone was recovered during the search.
Billboard was unable to reach Glaze for comment.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Tulsa Police Department’s post also includes a photo of Glaze that appears to have been taken at the station. In the picture, he stares blankly at the camera while wearing a Walmart uniform shirt.
Trending on Billboard
Though Glaze didn’t make it past his audition on American Idol in 2018, he made headlines amid the show’s 16th season when Katy Perry — one of the judges at the time — kissed him on the lips before he performed. After the then-19-year-old contestant revealed to the pop star and co-judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan that he hadn’t yet had his first kiss, Perry encouraged him to give her a peck on the cheek; when he got close to her face, however, she turned at the last second to sneak a smooch on his mouth.
“Katy!” he exclaimed at the time after falling to the floor. “You didn’t!”
Later, Glaze told The New York Times that while he did not feel sexually harassed, he felt “a tad bit” uncomfortable in the moment. “Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no,” he told the publication. “I know a lot of guys would be like, ‘Heck yeah!’ But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”
Even so, Glaze also said at the time that he and his friends back in Oklahoma agreed that the kiss “didn’t really count.” “It was lip contact versus a romantic situation with someone you care about,” he added. “That’s what a real first kiss is.”
Since earning his first Billboard Country Airplay top 5 hit with “All My Friends Say” in 2007, Luke Bryan has amassed 26 Country Airplay No. 1s — representing a mix of somber heartbreak tunes such as “Do I,” and a string of celebratory anthems revolving around rural settings and young love. As such, Bryan quickly ascended to headlining stadiums on the strength of his hitmaking (and yes, onstage hip-shaking), collecting five entertainer of the year trophies (two from the CMA and a trio of trophies from the ACM).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
To be sure, on Bryan’s eighth studio album, Mind of A Country Boy (out Friday, Sept. 27 on UMG Nashville), there are hook-filled, rowdy party sparkers such as “But I Got a Beer in My Hand” and “Country On,” but embedded in the album are also songs that accelerate the country quotient, and songs that convey the perspective of an artist nearly two decades into his career, speaking from maturity as a husband, father and seasoned musician.
Trending on Billboard
“I think it reflects where I’m at in life. I’ve had the party songs throughout my life and when I look at my career, I’ve put out the music I’ve always wanted to and this is the music I want out now,” Bryan tells Billboard.
That family aspect touches many songs on his new album, such as “Pair of Boots.”
“I have boys that were raised seeing their boots and cowboy boots everywhere,” says Bryan — who, with his wife Caroline, are parents to two teenage sons. “I think a pair of boots on a young boy teaches them about growing into manhood and I think it’s a tip of the cap to dads that start their kids off wearing boots. And certainly, if you’re a dad with boys, you get it.”
One of the standout songs on the album is “For the Kids,” which Bryan wrote with Justin Ebach and Old Dominion’s Brad Tursi. The song depicts a couple whose flame has fizzled out, but who are holding their marriage together simply for the sake of the kids. Though Bryan says the song’s story arc does not reflect his own nearly 18-year marriage to wife Caroline, he does feel it “might be one of the best songs I’ve written.”
Bryan says he and Caroline, who have been married since 2006, have been intentional about putting family first.
“I think we keep it all real,” he says. “There’s a time for me to go be a celebrity and there’s a time for me to go be a husband and a dad. It’s about communication and having a support group around you, a group of friends you enjoy being around and making sure you have positive people in your life. I think as you talk to people who have been married 30, 40 years, there’s always times in the marriage where there are bumps in the road, times that the kids might have been the thing that really held the whole unit together, and then there’s times when you’re an empty nester. I think this song touches on the journeys of marriage and what it takes to see it through forever.”
As a father to two teenage boys, 16-year-old Thomas (“Bo”), and 14-year-old Tatum (“Tate”), Bryan realizes his sons’ college years are not too far in the future.
“We’ve created a household where everybody hopefully wants to converge on [it when they can]. When they’re in college, you’re kind of empty-nesting, but when the fall breaks and Christmases and hunting seasons… when hunting season comes in, they start migrating back to the farm, where we can all hunt together. We take it year by year. The main thing is just to enjoy the time together, and get them through school and just raise them to be good boys and we know they’ll come back around.”
Another song on the album, “Jesus About My Kids,” written by Jeff Hyde, Tucker Beathard, Ben Stennis and Brad Rempel, delves even deeper into the role of fatherhood, contemplating how the approach to spirituality shifts as his kids grow older.
“I think a lot of parents can relate to the sentiment of praying for their kids,” Bryan says. “When they’re young, you try to lay the groundwork. We’re a Christian household and we’ve raised them that way to have those morals, and we try to set the tone at an early age of teaching them to be respectful and kind and polite. Then you hope that they can take that into the later years of their lives and be respectful, humble, with good manners. They’re doing good right now — we’re not having to bail ‘em out of any jails.”
Though Bryan has had a hand in writing many of his own songs, including “Someone Else Calling You Baby” and “We Rode in Trucks,” this time around, of the new album’s 14 songs, a dozen of them are outside cuts from many of Nashville’s top-shelf writers including Rhett Akins, Chase McGill, Hillary Lindsey, Ben Hayslip and Dallas Davidson.
“It’d be scary to know how many we went through, but I think we probably recorded a total of 18 songs, three of the ones that didn’t make it, I think I had a hand in writing,” Bryan says. “I always overcut [songs for an album] and then if mine make the cut, then they do. But this time I leaned on a lot of writers around Nashville and I always loved the opportunity of doing that.
“I’m a fan of the Nashville songwriting community, and I feel like that whole songwriting machine is one of the most amazing things in entertainment,” he continues. “I just get the songs to listen to and rarely know who writes them. I just like to try to use the mindset that the best song typically wins. And when those writers get cuts on the album, they always walk up to me and they’re appreciative and it’s endearing, and I’m always happy to be able to get the town fired up about one of my albums.”
A close listen to the album also finds Bryan and his longtime producers Jeff and Jody Stevens employing subtle ways of upping the ante, such as Bryan’s use of falsetto on the song “Closing Time in California.”
“I knew it was an opportunity to show that I had that in my bag, in my arsenal,” Bryan says. “We’ve heard the story [in this song] a million times—a small-town girl moves to Hollywood and there’s always that love interest that gets left behind. But you can feel the pain of all of that in the song, and the first time I heard it, I knew it was special.”
Over the course of his career, Bryan has performed for over 14 million fans, and is steadily adding to that count on his current headlining Mind of a Country Boy Tour, which runs through October, while his annual Farm Tour wraps this weekend (Bryan’s Farm Tour aids farming communities and since its 2009 inception, has awarded over 80 scholarships to students from farming families who attend local colleges and universities). He also keeps pushing himself in terms of his work on television. On Nov. 15, Bryan will host the new Hulu series It’s All Country, which finds Bryan exploring the stories and inspirations behind a slate of classic hit country songs. Next year, he will return as a judge on ABC’s American Idol, alongside Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood.
He says whether he’s in the studio or onstage, he’s still always aiming at setting the creative bar higher.
“No matter how many years I’ve been kind of in the mix, and as long as I can find songs that push me to new boundaries, we’re always trying a new musician here and there, always trying new sound engineers and mixing people, just always trying to stay on top of my game,” Bryan says. “I’m always trying to go above and beyond, try to just outdo myself a little bit every time.”

Two decades after Carrie Underwood stole hearts as a contestant on American Idol, the “Before He Cheats” superstar is returning to the show as a judge on the upcoming 25th season.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
She opened up about the new gig for the first time this week on SiriusXM’s Music Row Happy Hour in Las Vegas. “I feel like I’ve been so blessed to obviously be so rooted in country music, but I’ve been able to be a part of many other genres or music as well,” she shared of her musical experiences. “I mean, I’ve got a song with Papa Roach right now. It’s a lot of fun.”
Underwood continued, “I like to think that I am versatile and, hopefully, when I listen to people come and audition, I can have any lens I need to put on in terms of what music I’m thinking.”
Trending on Billboard
Ultimately, as a judge, she hopes to be “honest and constructive, but still kind,” before adding, “I think that’s the whole point, because people are coming in and it’s dreams. You’re part of somebody’s story from that moment on.”
Underwood was the winner of American Idol‘s fourth season in 2005 and has gone on to release nine studio albums, win entertainer of the year three times at the Academy of Country Music Awards, and take home eight Grammys. In Billboard‘s 50 Best American Idol Alumni of All Time list, Underwood was ranked at No. 2, behind only season one champ Kelly Clarkson.
“Carrie Underwood is the first American Idol alum ever to join the judging panel. Her global superstar status as the most successful Idol winner to date makes her a perfect fit for the show,” said Megan Wolflick, Idol showrunner and executive producer in a statement at the time of announcement in July. “She embodies the true spirit of Idol as she herself is the definition of the Cinderella story. Our future hopefuls will have the chance to receive advice from someone who has walked in their exact footsteps every step of the way. Carrie has always been a strong supporter of Idol, and I’m thrilled for her to be reunited with our Idol Family.”
Perry, who had spent seven seasons as a judge on the show alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan since its move from original home Fox to ABC in 2018, revealed her exit from American Idol earlier this year. “I think this will probably be my last show, my last season for Idol,” she said on Jimmy Kimmel Live in February. “I love Idol so much. It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat.”
When it comes to finding success through American Idol, Carrie Underwood needs no advice. She was the winner of the music talent competiton’s fourth season in 2005, and since then, has gone on to become a three-time Academy of Country Music entertainer of the year winner and an eight-time Grammy winner who has notched 16 […]
We look at country artists who tried out for American Idol early in their careers.
It turns out you can go home again. One day after it was revealed that Carrie Underwood would be returning to American Idol as the replacement for departed judge Katy Perry, the country singer told Good Morning America that going back to the show that lifted her to global stardom 20 years ago “feels like […]
Kelly Clarkson recently performed fellow American Idol champion (and newly announced judge) Carrie Underwood’s hit “Blown Away” during the Kellyoke segment of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The July 25 performance was praised by fans of both Clarkson and Underwood across social media, with one viewer commenting, “Kelly Clarkson nailed it! Her voice is incredible, and she did Carrie proud!”
Trending on Billboard
Another added, “We need a full-length album collab with Kelly and Carrie.”
[embedded content]
The performance was timely, as it came just ahead of the Aug. 1 announcement that Carrie Underwood will join American Idol as a judge, replacing Katy Perry and making her the first American Idol alum to take on the major role.
“Carrie Underwood is the first American Idol alum ever to join the judging panel. Her global superstar status as the most successful Idol winner to date makes her a perfect fit for the show,” said Megan Wolflick, Idol showrunner and executive producer in a statement.
“She embodies the true spirit of Idol as she herself is the definition of the Cinderella story. Our future hopefuls will have the chance to receive advice from someone who has walked in their exact footsteps every step of the way Carrie has always been a strong supporter of Idol, and I’m thrilled for her to be reunited with our Idol Family.”
Underwood, who won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005, has since released nine studio albums and collected a slew of accolades, including eight Grammy Awards. She boasts an impressive 16 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, which includes the Clarkson-covered “Blown Away” that marked Underwood’s 13th No. 1 single on the chart.
Her involvement with the show has also remained strong over the years; she has returned as a mentor in past seasons, offering guidance to contestants as they navigate the competition.
Underwood is set to join fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan for American Idol’s 23rd overall season, which will air on ABC and Hulu in spring 2025. Auditions for the upcoming season are set to kick off on Aug. 12 with the return of Idol Across America, the talent search that will take place in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Katy Perry, who announced her departure from the show earlier this year, served as a judge alongside Richie and Bryan for seven seasons since the show moved to ABC in 2018.
In addition to her new role on American Idol, Underwood is extending her Las Vegas residency through 2025 and recently revealed a collaboration with Papa Roach on their song “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark).”
She also performed in Nashville earlier this week at a tribute concert honoring the late country singer-songwriter Toby Keith.
Billboard recently ranked Underwood as the No. 2 best American Idol alum of all time, just behind Kelly Clarkson, who holds the top spot.