Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Thunderstorm Artis during his Season 23 audition on American Idol. (ABC Photo)

Americn Idol kicked off Seson 23 with a sneak peek following the Oscars Sunday night.

Carrie Underwood made her debut as an Idol judge and admitted she was nervous about that.

Lionel Richie promised unrivaled talent in the season to come.

Then the show introduced us to a trio of artists ready to back that up.

The only thing missing — tears, an Idol fixture. The episode was short on heart-wrenching back stories.

I’m pretty sure Idol will make up for that next Sunday when Season 23 officially kicks off.

Here’s a recap. Follow the links for more on the singers, including information about music they’ve already released.

Sonny Tennet, 25, South Sheilds, UK, performed “Easy on Me” by Lionel Richie: He delivered a soulful acoustic version of the song that brought Lionel to his feet. He called it “beautifully done” and complimented Sonny for making the song his own. Carrie Underwood called it the perfect song choice. Luke called it a great job. And, of course, Sonny breezed to Hollywood.

Thunderstorm Artis, 28, Nashville, Tenn., “Don’t Let Me Let You Go” (an original): Thunderstorm assures the judges that’s his given name, then delivers an impassioned version of an original based on his relationship with his wife. His performance brings all three judges to their feet. Carrie said he took all the genres, rolled them up in a ball and “threw it at us.” Lionel complimented Thunderstorm on his originality and ability to stand out. Yep, singing show fans, you might remember Thunderstorm from The Voice, where he made the finals, finishing third in Season 18.

Amanda Barise, 26, Manhatten, N.Y., “It’s a Man’s World,” by James Brown: Amanda said she’s auditioned with this song before and that sometimes it went well and sometimes it didn’t. She brings tons of vocal firepower to the performance. And delivers one heck of an ending. All the judges were on their feet by the middle of the song. Lionel called it “absolutely amazing.” Carrie called it perfection. Luke called it one of the best he’s heard — ever.