American Idol 16 – Luke Bryan contract almost done
According to a report from TMZ, the country superstar is finally close to agreeing to be alongside Katy Perry on the upcoming season. The singing-show revival has spent the better part of the summer pursuing Bryan, with the two parties being apart on the same thing that keeps many deals from happening: Money. The show did put itself in some jeopardy by offering Katy Perry $25 million, since that effectively raises the price tag for everyone else taking part. If one superstar rakes in some enormous cash, then this all of a sudden leads to some other judges thinking that they can effectively proportionally more than they would have otherwise.
While you can argue over how much you think a Luke Bryan contract should be worth, one thing feels true: He brings a ton to the show. While Bryan may not be a household name to every single person in America, he is in the country music realm. Country fans comprise a huge percentage of the American Idol fandom. Singers from this genre often dominate the audition rounds, a number of them make it to live shows, and several of them (including Carrie Underwood, Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler, and Casey James) have found some degree of success on the country charts. If you are a country singer, American Idol serves as a better stepping stone than it does for some other genres.
Now, another problem surfaces for the singing show: Getting a third judge on board. The aforementioned report notes that ABC is not seriously considering bringing a fourth judge to the table anymore, which is probably smart given the fact that they’re opening the vault for Perry and presumably Bryan. They’ve already paid a significant amount of money to host Ryan Seacrest, so how much more is left? Apparently, the idea of Lionel Richie serving as a judge is over and done with, which means that Charlie Puth or some other contenders could now be considered. Can we throw a music executive out there now? It’s hard to see another singer moving the needle, but putting an industry professional on the panel may offer up more in the way of credibility. This aided the original version of the show significantly since it gave the panel a voice who understood what it took to turn someone into a star.
American Idol 16 auditions film this fall leading up to the show’s premiere on ABC at midseason; one way or another, producers need to start acting quickly. We at CarterMatt already noted that producers need to keep the show on schedule to prevent running into issues with Perry’s touring schedule.
Are you happy that a Luke Bryan contract is getting worked out?
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