Season 24 marks a turning point for American Idol, and the numbers prove it. The premiere surged to 8.27 million viewers, Idol’s strongest opener in years, just as the franchise expands to live Disney+ simulcasts and next‑day Hulu streaming. Behind the glossy ratings, the competition itself has been rebuilt: auditions centralized at Belmont University, “Hollywood Week” uprooted to Nashville, and the Ohana Round transplanted to Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii.

There, a handpicked group of “Industry Tastemakers” quietly joined Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and host Ryan Seacrest in deciding who survives. Thirty hopefuls entered the Ohana Round; only twenty emerged, including standouts like Abayomi, Jake Thistle, Genevieve Heyward, Makiyah Mustiful, Madison Moon, and Ruby Rae. With Platinum Tickets still in play, Brad Paisley mentoring, and America’s vote looming by late March, every performance—from “The Power of Love” to “Since U Been Gone”—could be the difference between obscurity and becoming the next American Idol.