Recently, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, and host Ryan Seacrest revealed which songs they would sing if they auditioned for the show. Ryan has hosted American Idol since season 1 in 2002 when Kelly Clarkson was crowned the first ever winner. Lionel, Katy, and Luke became the judges in 2018 when the show was revived by ABC for season 16 after FOX cancelled it in 2016. They have been praised for their gentle yet constructive critiques of the contestants, acting as their cheerleaders as they journey through the rounds of the show.
The audition process for American Idol has changed since the early days of the show when potential contestants would wait for hours in large arenas for their chance to sing for the judges. Kenedi has since withdrawn from the competition for personal reasons.
In a series of Instagram stories on the American Idol Instagram page, Lionel, Katy, Luke, and Ryan revealed which songs they would sing if they were ever to audition for the show. Lionel chose the Beatles' legendary 1965 hit "Yesterday," written by Paul McCartney. He said, "I'm so sorry I didn't write it, but 'Yesterday' would be one of those songs. Oh my God. 'Yesterday' by Paul McCartney. Killer." Katy shared that she would audition with one of her favorite songs, the 1995 hit single "One of Us" by Joan Osborne. She said, "It's a cool song. Great storytelling and songwriting."
Luke said that the one song that he would audition with on American Idol is the 1993 hit single "She Used to Be Mine" by country music duo Brooks and Dunn, revealing his song choice with a big smile. Ryan picked the 1984 single "Penny Lover" by Lionel Richie, describing it as "one of Lionel's greatest hits." He said, "I don't know if it gets enough credit. Needs more credit." He then laughed, and joked, "I'm sure with me presenting a cover of it, it'll do damage to it." Ryan seems to believe that he should stick to hosting, rather than singing.
Fans of American Idol can have fun imagining the judges and Ryan auditioning with these interesting song choices. Lionel, Katy, and Luke are music superstars, so their auditions would surely impress the judges. One thing is certain—they would all receive a golden ticket to Hollywood.
American Idol airs Sundays & Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Source: American Idol/Instagram