Keith Urban can't seem to get enough of the American Idol stage. The 55-year-old singer-songwriter is returning to the competition series seven years after he wrapped his time as a judge.
The news was shared to the official American Idol Instagram, with a caption that read, “Once an IDOL judge, now our FINALE guest mentor! Welcome back, @keithurban!”
The American Idol season 21 finale will be airing live on May 21 at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. According to the graphic above, Urban will not only serve as a guest mentor, but he will also be performing on the finale. Per Billboard, the singer will perform his single “Wild Hearts.”
In case you haven't been following Idol all these years, Urban served as a judge on the series from 2012 to 2016, for seasons 12-15. During his tenure, the New Zealand-born musician worked alongside a number of different judges, but his final season saw him working with Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr., with Ryan Seacrest serving as host.
After Urban's final season, the show was canceled by Fox (who had broadcast the series for 15 seasons), due to declining ratings. However, the singing show was quickly picked up by ABC and it returned in March 2018. Since the show's revival, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie have served as the judges, with Seacrest maintaining his post as host.
As noted by People, the singer seemed excited about returning to the show, because he posted the news to his Instagram Story, writing, “Headed back to American Idol next week.”
We can't wait to see you back on Idol, Keith.
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