Jordin Sparks is not afraid to go after what she wants — including publicly sharing her desire to be the next American Idol judge after Katy Perry announced her exit from the gig.
“Oh hiiii @AmericanIdol—I hear a seat opened up at the judges table! I’m putting my name in the hat!” Sparks, 34, wrote via X on Friday, February 16.
Sparks became the youngest contestant ever to win American Idol at the age of 17 in 2007. After her victory, she released her debut studio album, Jordin Sparks.
The “No Air” singer’s post comes days after Perry’s surprise announcement that she would be leaving the reality singing competition after seven seasons.
During the Monday, February 12, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Perry, 39, was asked “how long” she planned to be a judge alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.
“I think this probably will be my last show, my last season for Idol,” she said. “I mean, I love Idol so much. It’s connected me with, like, the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat, you what I’m saying?”
The “Roar” singer noted that fellow judges Bryan, 47, and Richie, 74, were going to “find out tonight” about her decision to leave the show, adding, “They know I have some things planned for this year.”
After Perry announced her decision, Richie weighed in on her exit during the Thursday, February 15, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“I’m not mad,” he said. “It just made me run off the road when I first heard about it. My phone blew up.”
Richie confirmed that he hadn’t heard about Perry’s decision to leave prior to her declaration on the late night show earlier that week.
“No, we didn’t know about it, but it makes sense,” Richie said. “In other words: The reason I love coming on the show with you and the reason I’m doing American Idol is because I have 400 years of stories and a life in the music business. I have things that I’ve done.”
Richie noted that Perry is at a different place in her career than him, saying, “When Katy says, ‘I want to go and create some stories,’ remember, she’s young. The point is that you have to take some time and actually be an artist.”
While adding that he doesn’t know who could fill Perry’s shoes, he noted it’ll “be really interesting.”
“I’m telling you something, this is a great show. And what I love most of all is that we’re artists, so we know what we’re talking about, and these kids are scared to death, so I love sitting there as the wise poobahs, the three of us, and we’re sitting there and we’re all kind of giving information that we know is real,” Richie said.
He concluded, “So, whoever’s coming on the show has got to be, well, to come past Katy, you’ve gotta be humorous forever, and, on top of that, knowledgeable.”
American Idol season 22 premieres on ABC Sunday, February 18, at 8 p.m. ET.
