Attention all American Idol hopefuls! The judges are revealing the audition songs they hope you’ll skip, no hard feelings.
“I have a few songs that, if I hear them, I’ll start shaking and breaking out in hives. I might even pass out,” Lionel Richie tells Entertainment Weekly. “It didn’t happen this year, but ‘It’s a Man’s World’ is one of those. I’ve been hearing it for seven years. When they start singing that, I’m like, ‘Please, don’t do it. It’s just not gonna work.’”
However, Richie admits that if a contestant can step out of James Brown’s shadow and make the song their own, he’s all in. “Twice this season, contestants nailed ‘It’s a Man’s World,’ and they made it their own. You wouldn’t even recognize it as ‘It’s a Man’s World.’”
Meanwhile, American Idol’s new season sees some fresh influences. Ryan Seacrest points out that the audition songs this year have evolved. “We’ve heard a few contestants mention being inspired by Chappell Roan,” he says. “And we’ve been hearing a lot more of Tate McRae this season too.”
And while we’re talking about audition songs, the judges shared which of their own hits they’d pick for an audition. Carrie Underwood, reflecting on her Idol experience, shares, “When I auditioned, I thought I shouldn’t sing country because this wasn’t a country music show. There was only one country artist in the top few back then.”
Now, though, Underwood says she’d be “bolder” with her song choice. “Country music is so much a part of the culture now. People recognize its artistic and business value. So I’d probably pick one of your songs, Luke,” she says, teasing Luke Bryan. “We talked about it this morning—why not sing about Jesus? I’d pick your ‘Jesus’ song.”
Bryan is all about it. “Ahh! I’ve got a new song called ‘Jesus ‘Bout My Kids.’ Carrie actually sang some of the lyrics to it recently.”
When it comes to his own pick, Bryan muses, “I’d probably go with ‘Sail On Down the Line,’” referencing the Commodores’ 1979 hit, written by Lionel Richie.
Richie, ever the diplomat, shares, “I’d go with Carrie’s ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel,’ or Luke’s ‘Knockin’ Boots’ for my audition. I’m just trying to imagine what would make my grandmother skip church, like she did with ‘Brickhouse.’ ‘Knockin’ Boots’ would totally do that.”
As for Seacrest, he jokes, “I’ve got mine picked out! I’d sandwich it between Doja Cat and Dave Matthews Band… ‘One Margarita, Two Margarita’!”
Bryan can’t contain his excitement. “Quit stroking my ego!” he laughs, soaking up all the love from his co-stars.
Catch a new crop of American Idol contestants auditioning tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, and streaming the next day on Hulu.
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