Taylor Hicks Returns to ‘American Idol’ 20 Years After Winning, Calls Early Seasons ‘Last True Singing Competition’

Key facts

• Taylor Hicks won season five of American Idol in 2006, beating runner-up Katharine McPhee.
• Hicks returns for the May 4, 2026 episode of season 24, a 20th anniversary reunion.
• He will sing Stevie Wonder’s “Living For the City” with current Top 5 contestant Keyla Richardson.
• Other season five finalists returning include Elliott Yamin, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington, and Paris Bennett.
• Hicks was not allowed to play instruments on the show except his harmonica; season six later permitted instruments.
• He released a new single, “The Mirror,” on May 4, 2026, described as a revenge love song.
• Hicks co-owns SAW’s Juke Joint, a barbecue restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama, opened in 2012.
• He currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and continues to tour and release music.

A Reunion Two Decades in the Making

Twenty years after winning the fifth season of “American Idol,” Taylor Hicks is returning to the show that launched his career. On May 4, 2026, Hicks and four fellow season five finalists — Elliott Yamin, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington, and Paris Bennett — will appear on a special “20th high school reunion” episode of season 24. Each alum will perform a duet with one of the current Top 5 singers. Hicks will share the stage with contestant Keyla Richardson, singing Stevie Wonder’s “Living For the City” before a live studio audience and judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. Also at the judges’ table will be guest judge Paula Abdul, who served alongside Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson during Hicks’ original run. The episode marks a full-circle moment for Hicks, who beat runner-up Katharine McPhee in 2006 with the help of an extremely dedicated fanbase. He has continued to release music and perform live, most recently dropping a new single called “The Mirror” on the same day as his return.

From Microphone-Only to Full Production

In an interview weeks before the taping, Hicks reflected on the most striking change to “American Idol” since his victory: the shift from a pure vocal competition to one that allows instruments and elaborate staging. He believes season five was the “last true singing competition,” noting that season six began permitting contestants to play guitar or piano. “It was a microphone and a voice,” Hicks said. “When I got to my big, big break, it was kind of stripped from me, so I had to really kind of key in on the vocal presentation as opposed to the performance aspect of using instruments.” Hicks himself was only allowed to play his harmonica, which became a crowd-pleasing staple after he waltzed into his audition playing one. He argued that the instrument ban may have been a blessing: “You can hide behind an instrument very easily and not move, or sit at a piano and have all this production around you, and not just focus on your vocals.”

Judging Then and Now: From Brutal Honesty to Positive Reinforcement

The judging panel has also undergone a dramatic transformation, Hicks observed. During his season, judges delivered unfiltered critiques. “We kind of got thrown in the fire back then,” he said. “All the judges, not just Simon, would say what they really thought. Paula was like, ‘It wasn’t working for me tonight,’ and she said that a couple of times. Randy was like, ‘I don’t know.’ And then Simon would say, ‘Your haircut is terrible!’” Today, Hicks sees the feedback as “pretty one-sided,” with judges focusing on positives. He expressed a desire for the show to recapture some of that “realness,” but acknowledged the pressure to generate positive momentum for contestants post-show. “Everybody’s looking for a click, right? And they need as much positive momentum as they can get when the artists come off the show. So it’s a tough one, you’ve got to thread the needle.” Despite the changes, Hicks praised “American Idol” for keeping singers “front and foremost,” even as other shows rely on “smoke and mirrors.” He said he loves that the show is still “way more about the singing” than its competitors.

Life After Idol: Music, Barbecue, and a Public Flirtation

Since winning, Hicks has built a career as a touring musician and continues to release new material. His most recent song before “The Mirror” was “Porch Swing,” which came out in 2023. He now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, though he spends considerable time in Alabama, where he co-owns a restaurant. SAW’s Juke Joint in Birmingham, Alabama, is a barbecue joint serving pulled pork, chicken, ribs, baked potatoes, beans, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and cole slaw. The restaurant was created by chef Mike Wilson — SAW stands for “Sorry Ass Wilson” — who partnered with Hicks when opening the third location in 2012. Hicks has never been married and has no public record of a relationship or children. However, earlier this year he publicly flirted with Kelly Clarkson after she revealed on her talk show that she never received the car she was promised for winning “American Idol.” Hicks told Page Six, “I am a big fan of Kelly Clarkson and consider her one of the most incredible voices to emerge from American Idol. I would be more than happy to help her find a new Mustang.”

The Show’s Evolution and What It Means for Contestants

Hicks still watches “American Idol” and noted that season 24 features multiple singers who are “just undeniable talents.” He declined to name personal favorites but emphasized that the current contestants face a different landscape than his cohort did. The shift to allowing instruments, while seemingly liberating, has sometimes backfired, Hicks argued. Contestants can hide behind a guitar or piano, relying on production rather than vocal ability. He believes his own experience — forced to focus solely on his voice — ultimately made him a stronger performer. “I look back, and I think about just how pure of a singing competition that ‘Idol’ was up until season five,” he said. The show’s emphasis on vocals, he added, remains its distinguishing strength even as other talent competitions lean into spectacle.

What Comes Next: A New Single and Ongoing Tour

Hicks’ return to “American Idol” coincides with the release of “The Mirror,” a song he describes as a “little bit of a revenge love song.” The single dropped on May 4, the same day as the reunion episode, signaling that Hicks remains active in the music industry two decades after his breakthrough. He continues to tour, with most of his live shows concentrated in the Nashville area and Alabama. The reunion episode may also reignite interest in his catalog, as “American Idol” frequently boosts streaming and sales for returning alumni. For now, Hicks is focused on the performance ahead. “Stay tuned for some big @americanidol news soon,” he teased on social media alongside a throwback photo — a promise that materialized in the form of the May 4 special.

The bottom line

• Taylor Hicks returns to American Idol on May 4, 2026, for a 20th anniversary reunion with four other season five finalists.
• He calls season five the 'last true singing competition' because later seasons allowed instruments, which he says can mask vocal weaknesses.
• judging has shifted from brutally honest critiques to predominantly positive feedback, a change he views as a double-edged sword.
• He continues to release music, including a new single 'The Mirror,' and co-owns SAW’s Juke Joint barbecue restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama.
• Hicks has never married and has no children, but he publicly offered to help Kelly Clarkson find a Mustang after she said she never received her promised prize car.