Originally appeared on E! Online
Clay Aiken was far from invisible.
The American Idol alum made his return to the reality competition series for the season 24 finale May 11—which saw Hannah Harper crowned as the newest Idol—and surprised fans with his new look.
Clay opted for a fun and colorful wardrobe, a far cry from his early American Idol days, wearing a light blue shirt with brown polka dots, paired with over-sized light brown pants. He also sported a noticeably lighter hair color that appeared gray-blonde under the lights.
The 47-year-old was joined on stage by contestant Braden Rumfelt, who was eliminated on the May 4 episode, but returned as a guest for the finale. Clay debuted his song “Rewind,” his first new single in 18 years, noting it was exciting for him to come back to the series after placing second to Ruben Studdard in 2003.
“Back on @americanidol tonight for the season finale,” Clay posted to Instagram May 11 alongside a throwback video from his first audition. “I think this kid would be pretty proud of how far he’s come today.”
READ Clay Aiken and Son Parker Make Rare Red Carpet Appearance Together
Plus, it felt like kismet to return to American Idol at the same time he was releasing new music.
"It's kind of cool to have it back," he told ABC 7 in an interview published May 11. "It's a very surreal experience."
Plus, “Rewind” is the first song that he has released since becoming a dad to son Parker Foster Aiken, 17, whom he coparents with best friend Jaymes Foster.
“He's not been alive when I had new music out," Clay said. "So this is a whole new thing for him, too."
Since Parker’s birth, Clay has been focused on making sure that his son had a sense of normalcy—despite having a famous father.
“We did a very good job, I think, for 16 years, keeping him completely out of the public eye,” the “Invisible” singer told E! News in 2024. “I wanted him to be able to grow up as normally as he could.”
And while his son certainly has musical talents—not just from Clay, but also from his music producer mom Jaymes and uncle David Foster—Parker is not ready to follow in his father’s footsteps quite yet.
“He can sing,” Clay explained, “though, he just doesn't want to.”
For a deep dive into where all your favorite American Idol contestants are these days, keep reading.
