It’s safe to say that American Idol has changed. For those of us who have been faithful since the program’s inception, evolution has proven that, no matter what, America loves good competition. For over two decades, American Idol has been a part of the pop culture conversation. Whether for excellent talent, shocking moments, or just for entertainment, the 21st century would not be the same without American Idol. But it has undergone some changes. From FOX to ABC and Katy Perry to Carrie Underwood, the show has reinvented itself when it was necessary.

And there’s a competition within the competition called ratings. While the average television consumer may not care much about the Nielsen Ratings, the networks sure do. It helps them determine what works and what doesn’t. But after the show had beaten The Voice and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Finals, ABC had something to hang their hat on. American Idol is working.

American Idol Won the Battle

Following the start of American Idol‘s Hollywood Week, the show was up nearly 10% from the week prior in live + same-day viewership with 5.1M tuning in. Within three days of multi-platform viewing, the audience had ballooned to 6.69M viewers, according to ABC. By the time it expanded and reached the Monday show, it had defeated its rivals on CBS and NBC. Perhaps some sports fans were bored by the championship game, but the major story was American Idol‘s 690,000 viewers over The Voice‘s episode, which became the largest margin of victory head-to-head with the NBC competition series in over seven years. With this monumental defeat in mind, it’s time to decipher as to what aided in the win.

Adam Lambert has found more success than many ‘American Idol’ winners by staying true to himself.

The longer the ABC iteration of the program lasts, the more lenient American Idol has to create the optimal product that viewers are hungry to watch. Like nearly every other talent competition show, the judges have gone soft. It doesn’t matter if Simon Cowell is on the panel anymore; the judges are not lashing out and dragging the competitors. It’s certainly turned some viewers away who crave crude, authentic feedback, but the softer side of the show has allowed a more intimate feel, allowing the singers to blossom on their own. By putting the focus on the singers and away from the celebrity panel, mostly, American Idol allows viewers to truly resonate with the performers.

‘American Idol’ Is Moving Toward the Future

But beyond the new feel of the show, this season of American Idol has one of the greatest pools of talent in the show’s history. As proven already in the first live cut, every elimination is going to sting. Eliminating nearly anyone in the Top 24 is a massive loss. With a fairly diverse lineup of talent, both in artistry and individuality, American Idol seems to have finally captured the essence of why fans tuned in droves back during the FOX days. There will always be a disconnect in the show that was to the show that is, but American Idol is finding its stride.

While we superfans are absolutely going to fight back and disagree with some of the decisions that happen on screen, our passion stems from our love for the show. We want it to be the best reality show on television. Yes, the show changed when Carrie Underwood was welcomed home. Yes, some fans may feel slightly alienated by the direction of the show, particularly with the “Songs of Faith” night of competition. This season has a distinct feel, thanks to the makeup of the panel and the artist in residence. Is American Idol determined to crown a Christian music-based singer or country artist? It certainly feels that way, but that might just be because the top singers remaining fit that bill.

American Idol is still, at its core, the singing competition series that captured our attention in 2002. When this season ends, there will be ample time to dissect what worked and what did not. We will be able to help American Idol continue to evolve into Season 24 and beyond. The ratings are proving that American Idol is not going anywhere anytime soon. We’re going to get that milestone 25th season. American Idol airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:00pm on ABC. All episodes are available to stream on Hulu.