american idol is back.

Yes, the series the contestants hope to sing their way to stardom in kicks off its 20s^and season.

Broadcast of its 5^and season on ABC (Idol originally aired on FOX), the judging panel includes country singer Luke Bryan, pop diva Katy Perry and prolific musician and singer Lionel Richie with host Ryan Seacrest. Idol Executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick has been on the show since its inception.

The competition series has produced several stars, including Grammy winner Carrie Underwood, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and platinum artist Kelly Clarkson, among others.

Now that the series has been running for two decades, a curious detail about the contestants was noted by Wolfick. “I feel like it’s almost like competitors [have] been training since american idol All their life. The average age of our finalists this year is 20 years old. This is the exact age when the show started – a loop moment.

Seacrest, who has been the series for its entire run, reflected on the milestone saying: Looking back at all those times and seeing some of those competitors when they first met us on the road and seeing the weather that has passed and the success they have had is impactful. I got emotional watching some of those great moments.

About the evolution of IdolSeacrest believes, “It’s been navigated to become a very heartfelt, human, artist-driven show.”

He says he would like to see each of the former contestants make a stage visit this year. “I want to see each of these candidates come back. I want to see the way back to the beginning. I just remembered a moment with Clay and Ruben that we talk about all the time. I want to see Carrie again. I love seeing Jennifer Hudson. And for me, I remember standing next to them, watching their faces and their reactions in times of success and in times of challenge.

Regarding the audition portion of the show, Richie says, “Some people come out and they’re stars. They’ve got all the boxes checked – stage presence, delivery, their sound, their style – they’ve got it all there. So when they open their mouths, you know exactly who they are.

But he and the other judges admit song selection is key. “It tells us who they are as artists. This tells us how sharp they are as artists. It tells us how well they know where they want to take their careers,” says Bryan.

There are bad song choices, says Perry. “Some of them say, ‘Oh, I’m gonna pick an Ariana Grande song’ and then they’re nothing like Ariana Grande,” and she adds, “If you’re gonna pick, like, a Whitney [Houston] song, you kind of want to reinvent it or do it your way.

What sets Idol aside from other competitive chanting series, Perry says, it’s “it’s about the competitors. It’s not really necessarily [the judges]. We’re just kind of guiding them and supporting them and giving them clues and all that knowledge that we’ve been able to cultivate over the decades. I think we really, really care because we’ve been in their shoes. We want to put them in place to succeed. So we’re tough on them because in the real world it’s tough, but we always do it with grace. It’s also about authentic singer-songwriters, artists and talent.

Perry says working with the contestants has taught her “humility and gratitude every day, all day, and just reminds us, you know, how truly blessed we are.”

What Richie says he likes the most Idol is, “we are the microcosm of how the world should be. Think about it for a moment – If you look at the judges and Ryan – we represent America. We come from very different backgrounds. But at the same time, we can come together and celebrate one thing, the other.

He goes on to say, “When you come to american idolIt’s the american idol family. there is nothing else to say. So what we’re trying to show America is who we are as the United States of America. The problem most people have is that they try to look at their little sections of life, but when you get to american idolyou will see the United States of America which we portray so brilliantly.

“American Idol” airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC.