Last night was a huge night for ABC! After a 2-year hiatus, American Idol finally returned to television. Growing up, I was a HUGE fan of Idol. My mom and I watched the show religiously, and I dreamed of the day I would audition for the show. Well, that never happened, but I'm really just fine with enjoying the show from the comfort of my couch.

To be perfectly honest with you, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the new season. When they first announced the judges, I was a little hesitant. The judges really make or break the show, which is why I stopped watching the first time around. Once Simon left, I was just done. I am happy to say that after only one episode, I already love the judges. I LOVE them. Throwing three hugely different artists together was a big risk, but Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie are absolutely perfect, in my opinion. They each bring something different to the table, but it seems to work. Katy might be my favorite so far, but it's still early. We'll see.

Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy The Voice, but my one criticism is that I don't think they offer enough criticism. Idol doesn't seem to have that issue. I love how honest they all are, but they're honest without being mean, which I think is important. All of the artists have had such huge success, so I think their words carry a lot of weight with the contestants. I think that if I was a contestant, getting honest criticism from three huge stars would be the absolute best thing I could get out of it, whether I made it to Hollywood or not.

Last night there were some really hilarious moments that made me actually laugh out loud. Katy Perry and her "wig" comment, Luke and Lionel slow dancing, and Katy giving a 19-year-old contestant his first kiss were few of my favorite scenes. I look forward to seeing if they can keep this up all season!

Here are a few of my favorite moments from Sunday's premiere, in case you missed it:

(She's from IOWA!)

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