Luke Bryan has seen a huge number of contestants during his time serving as a judge on the American Idol reboot, and the country star has a few thoughts about how he would have appeared had he been in their shoes.
Speaking on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Bryan revealed that had he been an Idol contestant, he definitely would have attempted to use his Southern charm to his advantage, though he noted that he’s not sure he would have made it very far.
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“I would have been the aw shucks, gullible country boy that could sing a little bit,” Bryan confessed. “But I would have had to lean on my charming personality, my wit. I wouldn’t have known who I was as an artist.”
While Bryan may not have known who he was as an artist when he was younger, he shared the story of one current Idol contestant who knows exactly where she wants to go.
“We’ve got one girl that’s going for the high rounds and she’s 18 years old and she knows exactly who she is as an artist,” he revealed. “If you sent her a song, the most obscure song, she would turn it into hers. She’s not the best singer in the world, she’s not the best musician in the world but she is such an artist. We can’t get enough of her.”
“I wouldn’t have had that,” Bryan noted. “I was still trying to sing like all my heroes at the time.”
The 41-year-old also dished on his judging style, revealing that according to people behind the scenes, he did come off a bit stern at times.
“I was caught up in trying to really give them good advice to carry them far down the road in music,” he explained, adding that he and fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are “very truthful.”
Bryan added that he has worried about choices he has made as a judge, noting, “We’re not gonna bat a thousand.”
“I’ve lied awake at night wondering, ‘Gosh did we make the right decision?’” he revealed. “We get caught up in the emotion of it all too and we have to make decisions pretty fast.”
Photo Credit: YouTube / Late Night With Seth Meyers