Although the American Idol season 20 platinum tickets were a successful surprise twist, Luke Bryan revealed the change that he would have made to the process. The three platinum tickets were introduced to reward the contestants who had the best auditions in each city, according to the judges, Luke, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie. The singers then had the opportunity to sit back and relax during the first round of the very challenging Hollywood Week, instead watching all of the contestants perform in order to choose their partners for the Duets Round. All of the other contestants were paired up by the judges, but the platinum ticket recipients had their fate in their own hands.
The American Idol season 20 platinum ticket recipients were some of the most promising contestants in the history of the show, including Kenedi Anderson who auditioned in Los Angeles, Jay Copeland who tried out in Austin, and HunterGirl who received her ticket in Nashville. Although the trio seemed to be guaranteed spots in at least the Top 10, things began to fall apart when Kenedi suddenly withdrew from the competition for "personal reasons." Jay ran into trouble in the competition when the judges had to save him and give him a spot in the Top 14 because he did not receive enough votes from America. So far, only HunterGirl has lived up to the expectations of the platinum ticket, as she has been voted through by American Idol viewers in every round, and her original song which she performed on the show is climbing the charts.
In an interview with Parade at the American Idol Top 14 party, Luke revealed that, although he thinks the platinum tickets were "a great addition to the show," he would have made a change to the number of tickets awarded, saying "I think maybe five would have been better." This sentiment was shared by many viewers who felt that there were more than three singers who deserved a platinum ticket, including powerhouse vocalists Nicolina Bozzo and Christian Guardino. However, Luke still stands by the platinum tickets , saying that it brought "a fun dynamic to the show" and that they were "a creative spin." He explained that the reason why American Idol has lasted for 20 seasons is its ability to evolve with the times.
Luke then analyzed why Jay might not have been as successful with viewers, despite receiving the platinum ticket, saying, "When you look at Jay, some of Jay’s song choices and his performances did fall off. But tonight, in my opinion, he had the best performance of the night." Luke said that when he looks back over the whole competition, he still stands by who they gave the platinum tickets to. He explained, "We were asked to do that at their audition, so a lot of things can change, but I think it’s a fun element to the show." As for platinum ticket recipient HunterGirl, Luke thinks that her ability to write her own songs gives her an advantage in the competition, explaining that when artists are starting out, the only way that they can tell their stories and connect with audiences is through their own songs. He said that "being a songwriter is just another feather in your cap."
Although the platinum ticket twist did not play out exactly as planned, it was a creative way to bring some excitement to American Idol season 20. If the show decides to continue to reward the contestants with platinum tickets in the future, Luke's idea of giving out five might work, so that if someone bows out of the competition or America does not connect with one of the judges' choices, there are still other possibilities for success. For now, American Idol viewers can continue to watch Jay and HunterGirl's journey on the show as they head to Disneyland next week to be mentored by Broadway star Ben Platt and perform songs from the Disney songbook.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Source: Parade