AMERICAN Idol's season premiere has fans fearing the show has already found its winner in another country singer.
After the judges sang Colin Stough's praises during the February 19th season debut, fans begged the show to "change it up" genre-wise.
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Season 21 debuted on ABC and host Ryan Seacrest has returned after ditching his Live! with Kelly Ripa gig.
As have relatively long-time judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.
Singing a rendition of Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Colin impressed the judges.
He tossed his sunglasses on his cap and his guitar on his shoulder as he strummed and played the tune in a raspy voice.
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The judges immediately clapped and Lionel said: "Very good."
The 18-year-old got the backstory treatment as the show went to his small town in Mississippi before showing his audition.
"The house I live in has me, my mom, my stepdad and two dogs" he said showing his humble roots and that his dad had "never been there."
He said his dad "killed the family" by not being there in a voiceover as he tamed a horse, which he then rode.
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After his audition, Luke said he was "what the show was about." He accepted his golden ticket with his mom and teared up.
However, Fans feared the season was a done deal and the show didn't help the cause.
The show posted to Instagram: "Will @ryanseacrest be COLIN his name at the finale? @colinstough’s journey starts NOW!"
'IDOL OR COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS?'
"I ain't doing this country s**t this year. I don't care how sad his backstory is I ain't doing it," one viewer raged on Twitter.
"Just put American Idol on the Country Music Awards, I am so sick of season after season with the same voice," wrote another.
A third said: "I think American Idol has found its season winner in Colin. He's got all the checkmarks: country."
"He sounds like all of them, kindly no thank you" ripped a fourth.
A fifth sensed a pattern and wrote: "Colin Stough's Simple Man was sturdy but in no way spectacular. Which puts him on even footing with the last two American Idol winners."
The last two winners of American Idol have followed in the footsteps of Taylor Hicks and in perhaps a more flattering light, Carrie Underwood.
They have both been deemed country singers as far as the charts go.
Two years ago, Chayce Beckham qualified as country and then won the show, singing Chris Stapleton, which earned him a place in the semi-finals.
When he eventually reached the final four, he sang Colder Weather by the Zac Brown Band, then winning it all in the end.
Then last year, Noah Thompson was crowned the winner during the season finale in May.
Country singer Noah won despite many people wanting rival HunterGirl to take home the title, and fans were not thrilled by the repetitive note.
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During that finale, it sadly seemed that host Ryan was overworked as his "eye was visibly twitching" and his speech slurring during the big broadcast, according to fans.
The animosity contestant-wise may date back to when Adam Lambert was beaten by the acoustic guitar-touting Kris Allen during Season 8.
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