“American Idol” contestant Julia Sienna playfully called out Luke Bryan. During the final night of auditions, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood were getting annoyed with Bryan over his harsh judgments. For instance, the country superstar told one contestant that his performance was “very 15 years old to me,” another that they “weren’t all the way in control,” and another that “it felt like you had a bunch of Benadryl before you walked in here.”
“I think this year, Luke has kind of taken on the role of being maybe a little tougher than in seasons past,” Underwood told the cameras. “He’s been tougher this season. He was saying no to everybody. Luke was just grumpy.”
“Luke is absolutely out of his mind,” Richie agreed. “In fact, I can go one step further. He’s crazy.”
But all of this came to a halt when 20-year-old special officer, Sienna, walked into the audition room during the February 16 episode.
Bryan Remains in Handcuffs During Sienna’s Performance of ‘I Would’
“I heard you gave too many nos. Is that true?” Sienna asked Bryan before informing him, “Unfortunately, that is a violation of code Idol 26.”
Sienna went on to handcuff Bryan, who asked if she planned to let him go.
“It depends if you give me a yes or not,” she joked, before delivering a standout rendition of Connie Talbot’s “I Would.”
Despite the fact that Bryan “loved” her performance, Sienna decided to keep him handcuffed for the time being.
“I love you. I feel like you are such a fantastic representation of every woman,” Underwood told Sienna. “You come in, you’re strong, you’re gorgeous, you have strength in your voice, and then you have these beautiful notes at the top that are very soft and pretty. It’s all the things wrapped into one and I love that very much.”
Richie agreed. “I love your voice. You’ve got substance in there. You’ve got natural abilities.”
After Sienna earned three “yes” votes from the judges, Underwood instructed her to “release the prisoner.”
Once he was freed, Bryan concluded, “With full mobility, welcome to Hollywood Week.”
What’s Next on Season 24 of ‘American Idol’?
With auditions officially wrapped up, Monday, February 23 will be the start of the show’s “Hollywood Week,” which will be moved from Los Angeles to Nashville, now being called “Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover.” It will consist of a single round of competition instead of the usual multiple rounds, with ABC promising the “biggest Hollywood Week cut in ‘Idol’ history.”
“American Idol” is also introducing a new Ohana Round that will take place at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, and will take place during its three-episode “Hollywood Week.”
During the Ohana Round, 30 contestants will perform for a group of “industry tastemakers,” who will be helping the judges narrow down the competition to the Top 20.
The “industry tastemakers” include influencer duo Kaniyia Brown and Terry McCaskill, music creator Anthony Gargiula, actress Loren Gray, podcast host Evan Ross Katz, vocal coach Cheryl Porter, Grand Ole Opry announcer Kelly Sutton and “Rolling Stone” co-editor-in-chief Shirley Halperin.
