Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Jordin Sparks and Justin Guarini are two of the former American Idol standouts returning to serve as mentors during Season 21’s Hollywood Week. (ABC Photo)

For the second straight season, American Idol has invited alumni to mentor contestants during Hollywood Week.

Idol will begin airing its pre-taped Hollywood Week episodes Sunday night.

Former champs Phillip Phillips, Jordin Sparks and Noah Thompson, former runner-ups Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken and David Archuleta and Season 16’s Catie Turner will be on hand to assist the singers.

Those singers — about 150 earned golden tickets — will be split into three groups for Hollywood Week, those who want to focus on confidence, those who want to focus on songwriting and those who want to focus on stage presence.

Justin and Jordin will work with contestants in the latter group. Catie and Phillip will work with the songwriters. And Clay and David will mentor singers who want to improve their confidence.

Noah, the most recently crowned Idol, will provide motivational messages with the singers.

Four the next four weeks, Idol will air two episodes per week, adding a Monday night show.

So the second part of Hollywood Week will air Monday night, featuring the contestants teamed up for duets.

That will be followed by the showstopper / final judgment round next week and Top 40 performances filmed in Hawaii on April 16 and April 17.

Jordin, the show’s Season 6 champ, was also one of the mentors last year when she was joined by David Cook, Haley Reinhart, Lauren Alaina, Lee DeWyze, Ruben Studdard and Chayce Beckham.

Billboard interviewed each of the mentors about the experience and what they’re up to now

Catie Turner (right) mentors Season 21 contestant Caroline Cole on American Idol (ABC Photo)

Clay Aiken and David Archuleta, former American Idol runners-up who returned to mentor Hollywood Week contestants. (ABC Photo)

Former American Idol champ Phillip Phillips and Catie Turner, two of the Hollywood Week mentors. (ABC Photo)