Luke Bryan Speaks out About ‘Tough’ Round of ‘American Idol’ Eliminations

Narrowing down the Top 20 American Idol singers wasn’t easy on the contestants or the judges, Luke Bryan is reassuring fans.

After the judges were tasked with cutting their pool of talented artists in half during Sunday’s episode of the ABC singing competition, Bryan took to Instagram Live to let fans know how difficult a decision it really was.

Watching Idol on his couch, Bryan reflected, “This is a tough episode. We let go of some really, really talented people, and this one’s tough, because gosh, we have to cut it from 40 to 20.”

He continued, “Hope you guys are enjoying the show, and like I said, pretty amazing sitting here on the couch watching all this unfold. Lot of tough decisions there, but hope you guys are enjoying Idol and hope you’re enjoying the new tune out, ‘Knockin’ Boots.’ “

The country singer added that fans should “keep watching,” as next week’s set of performances are “amazing.”

Season 2 of the ABC Idol reboot has definitely been filled with stunning performances, which the judges teased prior to the March premiere to ABC News Radio.

“I think one of the most important things is that we feel like the talent is really, really next-level stuff,” Bryan said at the time. “And we feel like we have people that walk out, that they’re not just walking out and they’re just singing, they truly have stories to tell.”

“They’re true artists,” he continued. “And they’re so good, they just, even help legitimize our show so much more when we have extremely talented kids on the show.”

Fellow judge Lionel Richie agreed, explaining, “If you thought last year had talent, Oh. My. God! They came out of the woodwork! I think the kids actually saw the first [season] and realized, okay, we not only give great advice, but on top of that, we’re having a lot of fun … and we’re not so scary!”

“I was gonna be the toughest guy on the planet, but they’re bringing some of the greatest stories,” Richie joked. “Once you find out what these kids are trying to overcome, it’s, ‘How do they get up in the morning, considering what they’re carrying?’ They are facing their worst nightmares. And then they say, ‘But…I can be the greatest singer in the whole world!’”

Coming off their first season as judges, alongside Katy Perry, Bryan said he felt the trio behind the panel really hit their stride.

“I think last season was kind of everybody’s training ground,” Bryan admitted. “It was a new network, new judges. The first year, you know, maybe all of America would’ve been somewhat reluctant to fully jump on board. But I think what I noticed is as the show caught its stride, and we got into live shows, me and Lionel and Katy and even [Ryan Seacrest], we just started really having fun with the show.”

American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo credit: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images