Country music fans watching American Idol were stunned during Monday’s premiere when another country star showed up: Brad Paisley, who was there to pull off an epic prank.
Paisley was backstage without Carrie Underwood or Lionel Richie knowing. He pulled Luke Bryan away from the judges’ panel and recruited him as his partner in crime.
Bryan left the panel under the pretense of using the restroom, but instead met with producers and Paisley to plot a way to derail the audition. Their plan: bring in Dylan Holmes as a planted “contestant” and feed Luke what to say through an earpiece.
Ryan Seacrest, Brad Paisley; Photo by Disney/Eric McCandless
When Bryan returned, he immediately started questioning Underwood’s workout routine, asking how much she could bench press, just as Paisley instructed. Then, as Holmes began to sing, Luke abruptly yelled, “PASS!”
Paisley then egged him on to insult Holmes’ home state, prompting Luke to shout, “I can’t stand Michigan,” and later take a jab at Illinois.
Underwood seemed completely unaware of the setup, joking that Bryan must’ve taken a shot during his bathroom break.
Finally, Luke said the safe word (“hot chicken”) and Paisley walked out, revealing the prank.
“You wanna hear something great? I didn’t think anything was wrong,” Underwood laughed, saying Luke’s weird remarks are pretty much to be expected.
Fans thoroughly enjoyed the Paisley prank as viewers took to social media to react.
“Loved this. Love seeing Brad on the show. Brad and Carrie are an iconic country duo,” one viewer shared.
Ryan Seacrest, Brad Paisley; Photo by Disney/Eric McCandless
Another wrote, “I love it. Carrie’s been around them boys too long lol, she didn’t think anything about it, other than Luke could not tour in 2 states.”
The American Idol premiere showcased a slew of incredible talent, with contestants like Khloe Grace, Jayson Arendt, and Lucas Leon earning golden tickets to Hollywood week, which will take place in Nashville this season for the first time ever.
The next wave of Idol auditions will air on Monday, Feb. 2 on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.
Kenny Chesney picks his favorite of his own songs — and it’s not one of his biggest hits. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Ella Langley has announced her sophomore album, Dandelion, and shared the powerful intentions behind this collection of songs set to arrive on April 10, 2026 via SAWGOD/ Columbia Records.
Executive produced by Ella alongside Miranda Lambert and Ben West, the album promises to be her most personal body of work to date. After inviting fans into the real-life moments and emotions of her 2024 debut hungover, Langley is now serving up a collection of songs that offer a mix of honest reflection and a joyful escape.
Ella Langley; Photo by Caylee Robillard
As she revealed in today’s announcement, the album’s title has different layers of significance to it.
“Dandelions are masters of survival, thriving in even the harshest environments, often dismissed as a common weed. This unassuming plant carries a deeper symbolism of hope, healing, and resilience,” she stated in the social media trailer.
In another statement to her label, the songstress further explains that after discovering dandelion tea acts as a natural detox for the liver, it felt like the natural title to follow a record named “hungover.”
Ella Langley; Dandelion
The goal of Dandelion was to create music that feels “easy and effortless,” a record listeners can let play as the soundtrack to everyday moments while also connecting with it word for word. At the same time, the multi-platinum artist hopes that it captures the same feeling of watching fireflies in the summertime.
“It feels like windows down on a red dirt road. It feels like the best kind of Sunday afternoon. It feels like those days I remember as a kid where it felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day. This record is really a love letter to that,” she noted.
As she further reflected on the journey of writing, recording, and bringing Dandelion to life, Langley opened up about just how much this album means to her personally.
“This next record to me has so much growth in it. I feel the most myself I’ve ever felt. I want you to dance. I want you to sing. I want you to be able to relate to these words in a way where you don’t feel alone in your thoughts. I want you to not even worry about anything and daydream and listen to these songs,” she shared. “I want you to enjoy them with your friends and family. And I’ve thought about this record every single day for the last year and a half, and I’m so excited to finally say, welcome to Dandelion.”
The album’s lead single, “Choosin’ Texas,” is already rapidly gaining momentum as it is currently maintaining its spot in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for a third consecutive week. Additionally, it has claimed a Top 5 spot at Country radio. The song has racked up more than 240 million streams, becoming Ella’s most successful solo release so far and paving the way for a record that showcases her most confident work yet.
Per today’s album announcement, one of the fan-favorite track’s co-writers and executive producer on the album, Miranda Lambert, expressed gratitude toward the “You Look Like You Love Me” singer for allowing her to be part of the creative process on Dandelion.
“Thank you Ella for “Choosin Texas” (🙋♀️😘) to help you produce this amazing record. It’s been an honor working with you and Ben. I cherish your friendship sister. You are a Dandelion and I can’t wait for the world to hear this. ❤️”
This Friday (Jan. 30), fans will get another look into the upcoming project through the title track, penned by Langley with Joybeth Taylor, Austin Goodloe and Brett Tyler, as well as its official visualizer.
From the Banana Ball Championship league to the American Idolaudition room, 24-year-old Jayson Arendt proved that talent comes in all forms when he delivered a stunning rendition of Chris Stapleton’s “Fire Away” on Monday night.
The contestant is no stranger to performing, however his gigs look a bit different than your average aspiring artist. He is a member of the Texas Tailgaters, a professional “Banana Ball” baseball team similar to the popular Savannah Bananas. Both teams feature players who are former minor leaguers and college athletes and are known for delivering fast-paced, high-energy games full of musical performances, stunts, and fan interaction.
Photo Courtesy Jayson Arendt
“I got into it actually as a singer. Outside of the actual game, we’ll put on concerts. The whole point is just to keep the fans engaged the whole time and make sure they have fun,” Jayson explained of his unique role.
When the Fuquay-varina, NC native stepped into the Idol audition with his teammates in tow, they brought that same charisma and passion. They danced out the nerves with Luke Bryan and passed around a few jokes, but when it came time to showcase his talent through the slow-burning tune, Jayson let his deep and steady vocals do the talking.
“All that I’ll say is/ Fire away/ Take your best shot/ Show me what you got/ Honey, I’m not afraid/ Rear back and take aim/ And fire away,” he sang while simultaneously strumming the tender melody on his acoustic guitar.
Lionel Richie was quick to point out that Jayson had a “nice” and “distinguishable” voice that was unlike anything they had found yet this season. However, when the mic was handed to Underwood, she admitted some hesitation about whether Jayson could balance his high-energy, entertainment-driven persona with the more serious side of his music beyond the baseball field.
“I think my thing is, if you do end up going forward, it’s just the taking this part of you seriously,” she expressed. “Like you guys are obviously so much fun. I love it and I want to feel you emote. I want to hear more.”
Luke Bryan then offered him some advice in his career moving forward.
Photo Courtesy Jayson Arendt
“I used to try to sing everything as loud as I could. It took me years to kind of go, I don’t have to sing loud every time I can kind of calm it down. So just think about that.”
When the attention turned back to Richie, he offered a strong yes. Hoping to convince a win out of Underwood as well, a teammate playfully flashed his abs, to which she responded she has her own abs to stare at in her home, her husbands. Regardless, she gave her approval follower by Bryan who offered Jayson his third “yes” and earned him a golden ticket.
Throughout the entire performance and the intense voting moment, his teammates cheered loudly, showing nonstop excitement and support. The “Mind of a Country Boy” even joined them in celebrating at the end of the audition.
Fans will see Jayson Arendt’s journey continue during the infamous Hollywood Week, which will take place in Nashville, TN this year in a new twist. Meanwhile, the next wave of Idol auditions will air on Monday, Feb. 2 on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.
The new season of American Idol premiered on ABC Monday evening, and while the two-hour episode was filled with so much incredible talent, the final audition of the night stood out as the most moving moment yet.
When 15-year-old Khloe Grace performed an original song inspired by another young girl lost too early to suicide, the judges were not only blown away by her talent, but also her ability to create such a raw and moving story.
Khloe Grace; Photo by Disney/Eric McCandless
Before Khloe made her appearance in the room, a woman named Heather appeared in front of Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan and opened up about losing her 13-year-old daughter Aubreigh Wyatt to suicide in 2023. Heather told them she was not a contestant but instead was there to introduce the young girl who wrote a song in honor of her daughter who had taken her life after experiencing online bullying.
“Aubrey is my forever 13-year-old daughter. She is bright, beautiful, talented, and she endured years of bullying, social media pressures, and took her life September 4th, 2023. Just very unexpected,” she explained.
The heartbroken mother went on to share that she first heard Chloe’s original song titled “Forever 13” a year ago and “immediately cried.”
“It was beautiful,” she added. “It was what Aubrey had gone through.”
Chloe told the show’s host Ryan Seacrest that she never met Aubrey, but having experienced bullying herself, she felt compelled to write the song. Until Khloe walked into the audition room, she and Heather had never met, making their first hug an incredibly emotional and deeply personal moment.
“This means the world to me, you don’t even know,” the young girl from Jacksonville, FL told Heather.
Khloe Grace; Photo by Disney/Eric McCandless
She then turned to the judges and opened up about her story and how Aubrey’s death led her to write such a powerful song.
“I’d went through some of the things that Aubrey had went through, and it was really hard, so I was like, if I could write something that could just very small help someone, then it’s totally worth me writing this song.”
Underwood told her, “Music is very powerful and it can help let people know that they’re not alone. So we’re excited to hear the song.”
With her guitar in hand, Khloe let her voice fill the room with a soft but steady sound as she sang about the devastating impact of bullying, telling Aubreigh Wyatt’s story with a maturity far beyond her 15 years. She allowed the weight of her words do the work, painting a picture of stolen dreams, grief, and the lasting scars left behind. Her performance left the room visibly moved as she honored a life gone too soon.
Both Heather and the judges had tear-filled reactions as Khloe sang the emotional lyrics, “She was only 13/ Had some big dreams and you took them all the way/ She had her whole life ahead of her and you watched her drift away/ You never thought that what you said could mess up someone else’s head/ But maybe you think now that she’s gone/ A young girl had to lose her life so that you could feel somewhat satisfied/ In this sick and twisted world, you wouldn’t think that a few young girls could do any harm/ But look where we’re now/ She’s dancing up in heaven with no tears, no worry, no weight on her shoulders today.”
The song also went on to touch on the pain that Heather must be feeling after facing such an unexpected tragedy.
Khloe Grace; Photo by Disney/Eric McCandless
“I’ve never felt that kind of pain, but I can’t imagine how it feels/ To be a mom to lose her daughter/ It must feel so surreal/ How can she be gone/ She blames herself for doing wrong, but I hope that she knows it ain’t her fault/ Even though she’s gone/ Her story will forever live on/ And I’m going to say her name/ Because no one deserves that kind of pain/ Forever 13 had some big dreams and you took them all away,” Khloe continued in the tune.
As the final note faded, the room fell silent before the judges shared heartfelt reactions to Khloe’s powerful performance.
Lionel Richie told her, “I’m just so moved. Heather, that’s a gift right there. That’s God looking back at you. It’s just a very moving moment.”
“I feel like the maturity that you possess is quite incredible,” Underwood said before pausing to choke back tears. “The way you had your heart broken or someone you didn’t even know, and take that and basically say that something positive is going to come out of it, and to potentially even think about all the people that hear that and see you and hear this story and maybe decide to change their mind about something. It’s pretty incredible.”
Lionel Richie, Khloe Grace, Carrie Underwood; Photo by Disney/Eric McCandless
Luke Bryan praised her heart and her songwriting before offering a strong “yes” to move her forward in the competition.
“The fact that she wrote about what you were going through, not knowing you, shows a potential in you as a singer and a songwriter and someone that can really do a lot of good in this world. I’m a yes.”
Without a moment of hesitation, Underwood and Richie followed suit, earning Khloe Grace a golden ticket.
The performance concluded the first round of auditions for the ninth season on ABC and Hulu and 24th overall. The American Idol journey continues every Monday night at 8/7c.
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