"Instead of Hollywood, Nashville"... 'American Idol' Season 24 Kicks Off with Bold Changes

The legendary American audition program 'American Idol' has grandly opened its 24th season, declaring significant changes.

According to the U.S. ABC broadcast on the 27th (Korean time), 'American Idol' Season 24 premiered on the 26th at 8 PM. This season features host Ryan Seacrest, along with judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, who is a former audition winner.

◆ Leaving 'Hollywood' for the Music City 'Nashville'

The biggest change is the relocation of 'Hollywood Week', which was symbolic of the program. The production team announced that this season, instead of California, the 'Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover' round will take place in Nashville, Tennessee. This round will apply harsh rules where survival and elimination are decided in just one performance, predicting the largest number of eliminations in history.

◆ Text voting is a thing of the past... SNS voting introduced

The production team stated, "Text voting was innovative in 2002, but now we need to go where the audience is," and introduced a social media voting system. This is interpreted as a strategy to engage Generation Z and Generation Alpha, who are familiar with smartphones and social media.

◆ It exploded from the first broadcast... Is there a second Benson Boone?

The highlight of the first broadcast was 19-year-old college participant Jesse Findling. He captivated the judges with his powerful rendition of Benson Boone's hit song 'In the Stars', earning a standing ovation and a ticket to Hollywood (Nashville).

Meanwhile, Carrie Underwood, a Season 4 winner, received praise for her insightful feedback, understanding the participants' feelings better than anyone else. Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who have been collaborating for the ninth season, showcased the longest partnership since the 'Randy Jackson-Simon Cowell' duo. 'American Idol' Season 24 airs every Monday at 8 PM on ABC and is streamed on Hulu.