American Idol Photo: American Idol

“American Idol” has returned for season three on Sundays  and Mondays on ABC. Helping to determine who America will ultimately vote for to become the next singing sensation are music industry forces and judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie with Ryan Seacrest returning as host of the Emmy-nominated series.

The show traveled to on-wide journey across Savannah, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, California; and Sunriver, Oregon, where the judge auditions surprised audiences with never-before-seen twists. Those auditioning are hoping to get the coveted ticket to Hollywood. 

167 contestants have made it to Hollywood week. First up was something new, a gene challenge. Each contestants must define their genre. Groups of the same genre were asked to perform a song. After each round, the judges announced who was advancing to the next round and which contestants will be eliminated.

Here are a few stand outs from Hollywood Week. Arthur, Makayla and Just Sam