Luke Bryan dropped new hints over his future as an American Idol judge.
“Idol is kind of a year-by-year, ‘Do we do it or not?’” Bryan, 49, told A Taste of Country in an interview published on Thursday, July 31.
The “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” singer originally joined American Idol in 2018 and most recently weathered a shakeup on the judge’s panel that saw Carrie Underwood replace Katy Perry. (Like Bryan and fellow judge Lionel Richie, Perry joined American Idol when the show was revived by ABC in March 2018 after two years off the air.)
Bryan confirmed that he enjoyed Idol season 23 — which crowned Jamal Roberts as its winner in May — but was keeping his options open for the future.
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“Last year was really really incredible with Carrie and Lionel and Ryan [Seacrest] and the main thing is just, have fun with American Idol and have fun with the kids [contestants],” the musician added. “We’ll see what happens!”
While Bryan was uncertain over his American Idol future, he predicted that the odds were “highly favorable” of Underwood, 42, coming back next year. (Underwood launched her career by winning Idol season 4 in 2005.)
“I know she had a great time in the role,” he confirmed.
ABC announced in May that American Idol had been renewed for its ninth season on the network (and 24th overall), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, Bryan had the unpleasant experience of being hit in the face by a ball while on stage for his Country Song Came On Tour at the North Dakota State Fair on Saturday, July 26.
The Idol judge later admitted to A Taste of Country that the incident was likely caused by “one person [who] just took [the fun atmosphere] too far.” Bryan calmly kept performing after being struck even though he initially wanted to confront the overzealous fan.
“I mean, if I saw him throw it, I could have gone right to him,” he confessed. “I probably would have jumped right off in there.”
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Bryan ultimately thought that it was better to just let the uncomfortable moment pass, so he wouldn’t set a bad example for his young fans.
“If I jump off in there … there were a lot of little kids down there,” he acknowledged. “At that point, if I’d even stopped it and pointed somebody out, it kills the vibe of the show.”
Bryan made headlines for a more light-hearted reason when he mocked the Coldplay Kiss Cam controversy during a South Carolina concert on July 16. (Astronomer’s married CEO Andy Byron and the company’s chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, both resigned from the tech firm after being caught cuddling on the jumbotron at Coldplay’s show in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on July 16.)
As he introduced his song “Strip It Down,” Bryan joked, “We’re gonna shine our cameras on anybody. Who’s here with their secretary tonight? Hey, it’s gotta be someone way up there. … Do not get caught tonight.”
Bryan’s Country Song Came On Tour will conclude September 12 in Dallas, Texas, at the Dos Equis Pavilion.
