Yippie! The new Idol crew is on the cover of this week’s Entertainment Weekly!
While you’re waiting for the print edition, you can read an online preview of the “roundtable” EW conducted with Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Seacrest HERE.
Ryan Secrest tells EW, “I think the reason that Simon and I had that dynamic is that he was just so jealous of me. From day one, he was envious of my career at such a young age. So I tried to make it as fun as possible and as lighthearted as possible. It’s just something that happens in a live television show. But with all of us, we have very good senses of humor; we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We like to wind each other up.” Snap!
But Randy Jackson says, “He’s our friend for life. I don’t know if Steven knows him much, but Jennifer definitely knows him. We’ve all hung out together. So, listen, we definitely miss him, but it’s a different kind of vibe. It’s a different kind of energy now. And I think in season 10 the show actually really needed it.”
Also, Jennifer Lopez predicts Idol “may have the youngest winner ever.” And, Randy Jackson thinks “A girl is going to win the show.
Also, Jennifer Lopez namechecks David Archuleta. She says, “I think it’s about exciting performances. One of my favorite moments ever on Idol was not a big-voice moment but a beautiful-song moment, which was David Archuleta singing “Imagine.” That was something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life, that little kid at that little age taking that classic song and singing it in such a way that it changed my everything, like Steven loves to say all the time. That’s what we need to focus on getting: not big voices, not singer-songwriters, just what makes us feel something. I think that is gonna be what makes people come back every week.”
On no one reaching the real superstar status of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Chris Daughtry, Jennifer defends Idol’s track record, saying 3 superstars from 9 seasons is a pretty good record.
Plus, Randy Jackson says that having the entire group go through the auditions together has allowed them to bond–something that did not happen last year when Ellen Degeneres didn’t join the group until Hollywood.
A few more tidbits from EW’s summary:
- Ryan Seacrest on Simon Cowell’s absence, “It’s aged the show down a bit.”
- Says Randy Jackson, “There are less clouds of smoke. We start earlier…“Look, it’s definitely been interesting. We definitely miss [Simon], but it’s a different kind of vibe. It’s a different kind of energy now. And I think in season 10 the show actually really needed it….It’s not about replacing him or any of the others: Paula, Ellen, Kara, anybody else. People have been saying to us, ‘Who’s mean?’ We’ve all traded off on that because I think you have to always give people the truth, no matter what.”
- Jennifer Lopez says, “We’re more of a collaborative judging group…We’re always leaning over to each other and saying, ‘Oh my God, I think she’s good.’ ‘Oof, I don’t get it.’ ‘You don’t like it?’ I mean, not in a way where it becomes disrespectful to [the contestant’s] moment, but we discuss things. We just have a totally different style than any of the past judging tables.””
- On this year’s talent, Steven Tyler says, Tyler made of all the talent he’s seen auditioning for the show? “It’s just astounding, ” he says. “We throw the drift net out and look what comes up? Gold. [I’m] crying, honestly, from someone who hit the notes so sweetly and beautifully, not just that it’s the end of the day and thank God this motherf—er is the last one. Not that.””
Pick up Entertainment Weekly at your nearest newstand to read more!
Thanks Windmills
