'American Idol' Season 18 features more heart and less snark from judges

After being on the series for the past two seasons, their way of judging has surely evolved and the judges seem to be growing with the talent
Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Bobby Bones and Ryan Seacrest (ABC/Gavin Bond)
Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Bobby Bones and Ryan Seacrest (ABC/Gavin Bond)

'American Idol' Season 18 kicked off with its auditions on Sunday, February 16, night, inviting hopefuls who are looking for a chance to be the next title winner.  

'American Idol' Season 18 returned to ABC with a two-hour premiere and featured auditions from Savannah, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Washington, DC; Los Angeles, California and Sunriver, Oregon.

Those who auditioned also included a subway singer from Harlem who will leave you gobsmacked with one of the most emotional auditions, a garbage man with no prior experience with vocals that would leave you stunned, a fan of the 'The Bachelor' franchise who received her golden ticket to Hollywood from the reality show's host Chris Harrison himself and a contestant from Canada who released an album when she was a kid. 

Almost a year after Season 17, judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie returned to their seats along with Bobby Bones as the in-house mentor and Ryan Seacrest juggling the hosting duties. 

American Idol Season 18 premiered on Sunday night only on ABC. (ABC/Eliza Morse)

Unlike the previous seasons, 'American Idol' Season 18 has more heart and less judgment. There is also more constructive criticism from the judges at the same time, they are also much friendlier and helpful to the nervous hopefuls who auditioned in front of them. 

After being on the series for the past two seasons, their way of judging has surely evolved and the judges seem to grow along with the talent as they appear to be really invested in the contestants who auditioned. All they want to do is get the best out of the contestants and this is doesn't go unnoticed right at the start of the premiere. 

Let it be contestants who were nervous, having emotional breakdowns, having trouble keeping their range, the judges stood by them and encouraged them to bring out their best. There were quite a few emotional and personal moments, but despite it all, they really stepped their game up since last season. 

Apart from judging the contestants on their performance, they were also helpful in teaching the contestants how to be humble and not let their ego and attitude get in their way. Overall, after just watching the premiere of 'American Idol' Season 18, one can surely say, we are in for nothing but an extraordinary ride this year and we can't wait to see who amongst these hopefuls bags the title. 

'American Idol' Season 18 airs every Sunday night only on ABC. Check your local listings for more information. 

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