WARNING! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 24!

The 24th season of American Idol has exciting updates, including the announcement that Keke Palmer and Brad Paisley will be mentoring aspiring singers during the much-anticipated Hawaii Week. Once again, the show will head to the scenic Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa. With the season kicking off on January 26, familiar faces return, as host Ryan Seacrest resumes his duties alongside judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan.

Following the thrilling conclusion of season 23, where Jamal Roberts emerged as the winner, American Idol is eager to uncover its next star. Jamal’s career has been on an upward trajectory, highlighted by a Grammy nomination. This season, contestants will benefit from the guidance of Keke and Brad, who are set to steer them through the revamped Hawaii Week, adding fresh twists to the competition.

American Idol season 24 follows season 23, in which Jamal Roberts was crowned the winner. Jamal has already achieved much success, and was even nominated for a Grammy Award. As the judges search for the next music superstar, Keke and Brad will help to guide the contestants through Hawaii Week, which has some major changes in season 24.

Keke Palmer & Brad Paisley Will Serve As The American Idol Season 24 Hawaii Week Mentors

American Idol season 24 will feature Keke Palmer and Brad Paisley as its Hawaii Week mentors. Keke is an Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and television host, while Brad is a Grammy Award-winning country music legend. Brad already made an appearance in the first American Idol season 24 audition episode, when he and Luke played a practical joke on Carrie. Luke wore an earpiece and had to repeat all of the ridiculous things that Brad made him say during a fake audition.

In an Instagram post, Keke announced that she and Brad would be the American Idol season 24 Hawaii Week mentors. Keke and Brad said, “This is our impression of an owl who’s gonna be a mentor on American Idol this season.” Keke then sang an impressive run while saying, “Who,” after which Brad asked, “Who?” Keke exclaimed, “It’s us!” The duo then hugged. The caption of the post read, “Oh, and the owl can SINGGG honey! @bradpaisley and I are mentoring the #americanidol hopefuls at @disneyaulani!”

American Idol Season 24 Hawaii Week Will Have Some Major Changes

American Idol season 24 Hawaii Week will be like no other in the show’s history. According to an ABC press release, Hawaii Week will feature the brand-new ‘Ohana Round. Hawaii Week follows Hollywood Week and takes place at Aulani Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina. There will be a three-episode arc in Hawaii, with the ‘Ohana Round as one of those episodes. According to the press release, the ‘Ohana Round was “designed as the ultimate focus group,” and “blends peer respect, emotional support and professional insight before the competition moves on to America’s Vote.”

In the new ‘Ohana Round, the Top 30 contestants will perform for industry tastemakers, who have a total of nearly 149 million followers. They are Kaniyia Brown & Terry McCaskill (social media personality duo), Anthony Gargiula (artist and music creator), Loren Gray (singer and actress), Shirley Halperin (co-editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone), Evan Ross Katz (writer, podcast host and cultural commentator), Cheryl Porter (singer and vocal coach phenomenon), and Kelly Sutton (country music personality and Grand Ole Opry announcer). In addition, the audience will be made up of the contestants’ peers, family members and friends. Only 20 contestants will advance after the ‘Ohana Round.

According to Parade, Keke and Brad will be featured in Episode 908, “Top 20 at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawai‘i – Part 1,” airing Monday, March 16, and Episode 909, “Top 20 at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawai‘i – Part 2,” airing Monday, March 23. This means that only the Top 20 contestants will work with the mentors.

American Idol season 24 got off to an exciting start with its first audition episode, and it’s certain to continue to impress and move viewers with its phenomenal performances. It’s thrilling to see that the show is still introducing new twists, such as the ‘Ohana Round, after 24 seasons, which keeps it fresh. American Idol season 24 Hawaii Week is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, especially with Keke and Brad as its mentors.

Sources: Keke Palmer/Instagram, ABC, Parade

Release Date

2002 – 2016-00-00

Network

ABC

Showrunner

Nigel Lythgoe

Directors

Ken Warwick

Franchise(s)

American Idol