The Return of ‘Idol,’ Confident in Season 7
Empty seats were common last summer at the American Idols Live concert tour. Two “American Idol” winners — Taylor Hicks, who took the top prize in the program’s fifth season, and Ruben Studdard, who won the second season — recently lost their record contracts. And last season, the sixth, marked the first time that overall viewership of “American Idol” declined from the previous year.
None of which means that the “American Idol” juggernaut has started to weaken, said Nigel Lythgoe, an executive producer of the series, which begins anew on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on Fox. On the contrary, with the Hollywood writers’ strike ensuring that “American Idol” will face even less competition than normal, the outlook for Season 7 of “Idol” appears to be as good as or better than ever.
‘American Idol’ not likely to produce an American icon
Can you imagine Bob Dylan on “American Idol”? Me neither. For the sake of argument, however, let’s pretend the legendary singer-songwriter somehow manages to pass the audition.
Week 1: Dylan tries to impress the judges with “Like a Rolling Stone,” to no avail. “It was kinda long, dawg,” Randy Jackson tells him.
Week 2: Dylan struggles through “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” during Motown week. Paula Abdul compliments his Zorro moustache.
Week 3: Bon Jovi week sounds the death knell for Dylan, whose nasal assault on “You Give Love a Bad Name” is decried as “pathetic” by Simon Cowell.
“For Bob Dylan, the journey ends here,” Ryan Seacrest declares, putting an arm around our dejected also-ran from Hibbing, Minn. “Good luck, dude.”
‘American Idol’ changing its tune for 7th season
We can all agree to disagree on “American Idol” and pretty much always have over the past six seasons.
Some editions have been grand, some less so. Which was which? That was strictly a matter of opinion and the maddening and unpredictable hobgoblin known as “taste.”
Then, something happened last year. It started quietly enough - maybe a sort of revulsion at the early contestant rounds, which featured a tsunami of false notes and bad hair. Then, there was Sanjaya, who became a national joke. Melinda Doolittle, the finest singer in “Idol” history, was prematurely ejected. Ratings slid slightly, teens abandoned the show by the millions, the summer tours were sparsely attended and potential buyers remain allergic to winner Jordin Sparks’ self-named CD.
‘American Idol’ not likely to produce an American icon
Can you imagine Bob Dylan on “American Idol”? Me neither. For the sake of argument, however, let’s pretend the legendary singer-songwriter somehow manages to pass the audition.
Week 1: Dylan tries to impress the judges with “Like a Rolling Stone,” to no avail. “It was kinda long, dawg,” Randy Jackson tells him.
Week 2: Dylan struggles through “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” during Motown week. Paula Abdul compliments his Zorro moustache.
Week 3: Bon Jovi week sounds the death knell for Dylan, whose nasal assault on “You Give Love a Bad Name” is decried as “pathetic” by Simon Cowell.
“For Bob Dylan, the journey ends here,” Ryan Seacrest declares, putting an arm around our dejected also-ran from Hibbing, Minn. “Good luck, dude.”
Will ‘Idol’ sing a different tune in its new season?
The seventh season of American Idol begins with a crucial question: Can this show still sell music?
Yes, the real point of the show is to sell cars, clothes, soap and anything else an advertiser wants to peddle to the hordes who tune into the series, which launches again with two two-hour audition telecasts Tuesday and Wednesday on Fox.
No question about the hordes. It was the most-watched TV series last season. In fact, it was the two most-watched series, with the 30 million viewers for the Wednesday results shows ranking first and the 29.5 million for Tuesday telecasts placing second, according to Nielsen.
American Idol Romance: Blake Lewis & Haley Scarnato?
As American Idol gets ready to fire up for a rescue from a disastrous season 6, two of the finalists may be cuddling up. According to Star magazine last year’s runner-up Blake Lewis rung in the New Year in style – with fellow American Idol contestant Haley Scarnato!
The couple “looked like two teenagers in love” while partying at the Svedka New Year’s Eve bash at the Hotel Gansevoort in New York City, a source tells Star. After arriving at the event, hosted by Kid Rock, at 1 a.m., the two “were glued at the hip,” says an onlooker. “They were in the VIP room, sitting practically on top of each other, toasting to 2008.”
Idol’s Premature Exits
Gina Glocksen, Season 6
Rocker Gina Glocksen was a shining personality, a moderate-to-good talent, a woman who probably wouldn’t have won season six’s Idol, but definitely should not have been kicked off so soon.
‘American Idol’ gets big boost from writers’ strike
Last season, “American Idol” became its own worst enemy. TV critics and online fans alike criticized the show’s lack of engaging personalities in its sixth incarnation.
All of this resulted in shrinking ratings. The season finale was 18 percent off season five’s finale in the ratings, according to Entertainment Weekly.
As the show prepares to launch its seventh season Tuesday (8 p.m. on Fox, Channel 11), though, it’s one of the few big shows still on the air, thanks to a Writers Guild of America strike that doesn’t affect reality programming like “Idol.” The success of “Idol” doesn’t surprise Robert Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y.
New season, new way to Idolize
Every year, there’s a little tinkering, a slight change here or there that helps keep Fox’s “American Idol” fresh - and alone atop the ratings.
But if you can believe the show’s most vocal judge, Simon Cowell, the seventh season of “Idol,” which debuts at 7 p.m. Tuesday on WITI-TV (Channel 6), will have a far more noticeable change.
This season’s competition will focus more directly on the contestants and their personalities, and not so much on big names like Tony Bennett and Barry Manilow, who are brought in to help the finalists develop their singing style.
Time for TV Jedi to raise lightsabers against dark empire
You know that scene in “Star Wars” where the old guy with the beard is using what looks like an early beta version of “Tron” to explain that there’s a tiny hole — roughly the size of the womp rats back on Tatooine — through which the entire Death Star could be brought down and peace could be restored to the universe?
Sanjaya was just such a hole.
Last year, the goofy teenager with more hairdos than talent helped expose a flaw in the voting process, one of several signs of trouble for the new season of “American Idol” (8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, KVVU-TV, Channel 5).
The Death Star analogy is nothing new. Rival networks have been using it for years to describe the way the 800-pound ratings gorilla destroys anything and everything in its path while casting a dark shadow across the rest of the TV landscape.
American Idol Needs Country
I wonder if the powers that be at American Idol realize that if they don’t want to look goofy, they should rewind and rethink. Which Idol contestants have been successful? Not the two winners from Alabama. Gray-haired Taylor Hicks and heavyset Ruben Studdard were both recently dropped from J Records. Katharine McPhee was dropped from her label, RCA, last week. Just released from jail in Florida, former Idol star Jessica Sierra is on her way to rehab. Pretty sad, huh?
Look at the success of Carrie Underwood, an Idol winner whose debut album sold 6 million copies. Her second release is already double platinum. Every record she’s released has been a hit with radio as well as with the fans. Stepping into a new arena, the Checotah, Okla., native co-wrote her last single, “So Small,” and yes, that was her latest chart-topper.
American Idol Rewind Moves to Fox Stations
It didn’t take long for Trifecta Entertainment to find a home for American Idol Rewind, the weekly hour produced by FremantleMedia North America and formerly distributed by Tribune Entertainment, which said last month that it was exiting the distribution business.
American Idol Rewind
The reality hour — comprised of repackaged and never-before-seen footage from Fox’s mega-hit singing show, American Idol — will appear on 13 Fox stations come fall, including in New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Dallas; Washington, D.C.; and Houston. The deal calls for double-runs, which will likely appear on Fox’s duopoly stations in those markets.
Super Bowl pregame show will have ‘Idol’ chatter
Monday, Fox announces its Super Bowl pregame show will debut Idol judge Paula Abdul’s Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow music video, and she might also perform the song live.
The song will be the first single released off an upcoming album produced by another Idol judge —Randy Jackson— who’ll also appear on the pregame show. And, Idol host Ryan Seacrest will be a host of the pregame show, where he’ll do red-carpet interviews with celebs coming into the stadium. Especially, one assumes, if they have anything to do with Idol.
Hill sounds open to any Idol tie-in: “I wish (Idol host) Simon Cowell had called and said he’s doing, say, an audio book of poetry. Simon reading William Wordsworth. It’d probably sell.”
Tales from an American Idol
“American Idol” didn’t want me.
Although I had never seen the popular Fox show, I decided to audition because I fancy myself as a singer. Apparently, I found out, so did the other 17,000 people who showed up at the Wachovia Center in August to try out for a spot on the upcoming season.
My father reluctantly accompanied me on my wild adventure. “Should you watch the show before-hand?” he asked before we arrived. I shook my head no. “I don’t want to be tainted by watching other people get rejected,” I said to him. Confidence would carry me.
Trying out for “American Idol” is an endurance test — with long lines for registration, long lines for auditions — all culminating in one 30-second attempt at stardom.
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HDD numbers are in. 28.66% reported:
2 1 ALICIA KEYS J RECORDS/RMG 25,376
AS I AM
8 2 EAGLES EAGLES RECORDING COMPANY 21,494
LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN
6 3 GARTH BROOKS PEARL RECORDS 20,640
ULTIMATE HITS
3 4 MARY J. BLIGE GEFFEN 18,958
GROWING PAINS
4 5 NOW 26 EMI COMMERCIAL MARKETING 12,200
VARIOUS ARTISTS
5 6 TAYLOR SWIFT BIG MACHINE 10,706
TAYLOR SWIFT
13 7 FERGIE A&M/INTERSCOPE 10,021
THE DUTCHESS
1 8 RADIOHEAD TBD/ATO/RED 9,760
IN RAINBOWS
10 9 CHRIS BROWN JIVE/ZLG 9,678
EXCLUSIVE
25 10 DAUGHTRY RCA/RMG 9,324
DAUGHTRY
29 11 LINKIN PARK WARNER BROS. 8,628
MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
19 12 RASCAL FLATTS LYRIC STREET 8,438
STILL FEELS GOOD
7 13 JUNO RHINO 8,391
SOUNDTRACK
22 14 SUGARLAND ISLAND/MERCURY NASHVILLE 7,805
ENJOY THE RIDE
9 15 COLBIE CAILLAT UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 7,637
COCO
17 16 HANNAH MONTANA 2 - MEET MILEY WALT DISNEY RECORDS 7,426
SOUNDTRACK
18 17 CARRIE UNDERWOOD ARISTA/RMG 6,948
CARNIVAL RIDE
32 18 NICKELBACK ROADRUNNER 6,896
ALL THE RIGHT REASONS
11 19 ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS RAZOR & TIE 6,671
SOUNDTRACK
26 20 JAHEIM ATLANTIC/ATL G 6,592
MAKINGS OF A MAN
15 21 KEYSHIA COLE GEFFEN 6,400
JUST LIKE YOU
44 22 KID ROCK ATLANTIC/ATL G 6,233
ROCK N ROLL JESUS
33 23 KANYE WEST ROC-A-FELLA/IDJMG 6,229
GRADUATION
34 24 JAY-Z ROC-A-FELLA/IDJMG 6,199
AMERICAN GANGSTER
16 25 LED ZEPPELIN ATLANTIC/ATL G 6,028
MOTHERSHIP
14 26 ONEREPUBLIC INTERSCOPE 5,871
DREAMING OUT LOUD
20 27 LUPE FIASCO ATLANTIC/ATL G 5,770
LUPE FIASCO’S THE COOL
36 28 MAROON 5 A&M/OCTONE 5,391
IT WON’T BE SOON BEFORE LONG
31 29 SOULJA BOY TELL’EM INTERSCOPE 5,178
SOULJABOYTELLEM.COM
37 30 BIRDMAN CASH MONEY/UNIVERSAL MOT 5,127
5 STUNNA
35 31 BRITNEY SPEARS JIVE/ZLG 4,845
BLACKOUT
38 32 KIRK FRANKLIN GOSPOCENTRIC 4,817
FIGHT OF MY LIFE
39 33 KENNY CHESNEY BNA/SBMG NASHVILLE 4,628
JUST WHO I AM: POETS & PIRATES
45 34 TIMBALAND INTERSCOPE 4,445
TIMBALAND PRESENTS SHOCK VALUE
46 35 JORDIN SPARKS 19/JIVE/ZLG 4,431
JORDIN SPARKS
– 36 THE-DREAM DEF JAM/IDJMG 4,358
LOVEHATE
23 37 PARAMORE FUELED BY RAMEN 4,252
RIOT!
41 38 REBA MCENTIRE MCA NASHVILLE 4,213
DUETS
– 39 J. HOLIDAY CAPITOL 3,972
BACK OF MY LAC
48 40 BOW WOW & OMARION COLUMBIA 3,908
FACE OFF
21 41 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 WALT DISNEY RECORDS 3,894
SOUNDTRACK
– 42 GEORGE STRAIT MCA NASHVILLE 3,820
22 MORE HITS
49 43 FOO FIGHTERS RCA/RMG 3,799
ECHOES SILENCE PATIENCE & GRACE
– 44 MARIO J RECORDS/RMG 3,481
GO!
– 45 GODSMACK UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 3,425
GOOD TIMES BAD TIMES: 10 YEARS
50 46 DANE COOK COMEDY CENTRAL RECORDS 3,053
ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES: LIVE MSG
40 47 KEITH URBAN CAPITOL 2,991
GREATEST HITS
– 48 MATCHBOX TWENTY ATLANTIC/ATL G 2,983
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
– 49 RIHANNA DEF JAM/IDJMG 2,908
GOOD GIRL GONE BAD
– 50 DRAMA ATLANTIC/ATL G 2,829
GANGSTA GRILLZ: THE ALBUM
The big January sales freeze is in effect.
LOL Kat!
What happened to Sabrina & Sundance CD?
lol @ chris. “Credibility”? He’s not exactly swimming in that stuff himself. He’s derivitave of a couple of bands that struggled in that department. ‘Cause, you know, Creed and Nickleback RAWK dude! lmao.
AI will be just fine without your sage advice, buddy.
Ken Barnes is reporting details of Randy Jackson’s soon to be released album:
Randy enlists famous friends (inc. Idols) for new album
The time could not be better for Randy to release his first solo album, Randy Jackson’s Music Club, Vol. 1, a title that implies but does not, history tells us, always promise a sequel. The album not only includes the long-awaited return to recording of fellow judge Paula (on Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow, the song whose video is being previewed at the Super Bowl, which should be interesting (the video, not necessarily the Super Bowl), but also appearances by Elliott and Katharine on a track.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/
little d = little man syndrome (Napolean complex)
Interesting…
Report: Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent Named in Steroid Investigation
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,322495,00.html
I believe this statement, while true in theory, cannot be applied to Taylor Hicks’ career. As the winner, he had contractual promo to do so didn’t have the time to come up with any original songs in the time frame given. How ironic.
It’s obvious that D longs for cred in the rock world. He’s not exactly hardcore. But he does have a couple of good, straight ahead rockers which I’d love to hear live.
Nigel talkin’ out both sides of his mouth, hee. So, what else is new? Jerk.
Nigel is a jacka** - can. not. STAND. that man. We didn’t get it wrong, Nigel - you are about as low as they come to put down any of the winners and the ones who voted to get him/her there. I wish I could remember which article his last jab was in - where he actually SAID that some little granny might pick up the phone and vote for Taylor but not buy his album.
True… he should’ve just said “titties in your mouth”.
Daughtry needs shaddup. After all, he was rejected by Rock Star Supernova due to his inability to, like, ROCK.
Just read over at the etrain that some guy auditioned (badly) singing Elliott’s WFY… Dang. I dont want to watch the auditions! MJ!!!! Help a girl out!
Des, I edited my original post to include the “jerk” part. Nigel’s made no secret of the fact that he doesn’t care for Taylor. What is with him and Simon that they don’t appreciate a bluesy rootsy artist? He would never admit to it but he knows Taylor was a huge draw who appealed to a very wide demographic of young and old. What BS. Also, I remember there being quite the contingent of dudes posting over at Gray’s during the early days.
Now, now, Lu……you have to go through the bad to appreciate the good!
“But he does have a couple of good, straight ahead rockers which I’d love to hear live. ”
What I Want is all kinds of awesome live.
Chris wrote a response on Daughtry Official about the Rolling Stone article…..sorry if the link doesn’t work, I never posted before
http://www.daughtryofficial.com/node/266860
What is with him and Simon that they don’t appreciate a bluesy rootsy artist?
Neither has a soul. Cold fishes who are both taking
the little blue pill.
oh good, it worked
Yep, Jadore…What I Want is my fave :)
The gigantic tatoo of his name on his back says it all re. Chris, as far as I’m concerned.
From Daughtry’s mea culpa-slash-whinefest:
How whiny and passive-aggressive of him…has he been hanging out with McPhee lately?
Thanks JJ123 for the Daughtry link. As a Taylor fan I know all too well that reporters are looking for the most provocative quote to pull out for headlines. This happens all the time. Last year they took Taylor’s (clumsy) attempt to say that his personal momentum from winning Idol was winding down, and twisted it to mean he thought American Idol was “Fizzling out”. SO I say give Daughtry a break on this one. It was a poorly worded quote taken out of context.
I probably would have given him more of a break if he hadn’t sniveled about it on his message board. But then again, I’ll probably forget about this article entirely tomorrow.
This is my favorite line: “I was never trying to “DISS” the show or “BITE THE HAND THAT FED ME” so to speak” Plus he doesn’t know how to use adverbs but I still like Chris. Kind of thought he’d backtrack a little.
My favorite line was the sweet little “God bless!” at the end.
The title “I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m,…just being honest” is also pretty funny.
Chris must have taken heat pretty quickly after the article came out if he’s already responding…
The diss doesn’t quite work when the facts aren’t right. It was the INXS season he auditioned for, not Supernova.
And pretty much anyone who’s ever seen a live show can attest that he and the band do indeed, like, ROCK.
The incorrect use of adverbs really got to me, too. Anyway, mountain out of a molehill, IMO.
I was hoping to see some good snark on Randy’s solo album, but no one bit. LOL.
PJ! I’m on itunes right now! Give me a good JPL song - preferably something a little upbeat… :)
When do we fin dout who made it to Hollywood. If those idiot Brittenum twins make it, I may have to miss Hollywood in addition to the auditions… sigh.
It’s so sad, I am crying out of one eye. Actually, I didn’t really think anything of what Chris said. I doubt he is actually paying any attention to the show and he probably just heard that it sort of sucked last year. He has been been busy writing 17 new Creedleback songs for the new CD, yo! God bless!
(Actually I think the new CD will be much better (artistically) if cute drummer Joey contributed to the tracks - I seem to recall that his musical influences were not nearly as lame as Chris’s)
Why would someone sing WFY? It is anothers contestants song and kind of popish at best but good. Elliott sings so much better than that song and could of sold more cds .
I thought Taylor could sing good not as good as some and was a good preformer. The contestants that won that sold like ganbusters sang well,had personality or the look, fit in with the time ,good preformer and had a very good cd.
I do not know about Chris D statement they live in a fishbowl where perception becomes reality fair or not..( a quote from espn..)
Try “If I Go Away” or “Man from Amsterdam”
(corrections -contestants that sell like gangbusters..not contestants that won.)..who knows which ones in 6 or 7 will do it.
Uh…in almost every message from Chris that I have read he signs off with “God Bless”. Is there a problem with that?
Sarah, from what I’ve read, he would have fared better on INXS v. Supernova. He failed the easy rock test.
Under the circumstances, the “God Bless” was probably southern snark — right up there with ’stay sweet!’ (kick yer dog !)
Less than 24 hours until a new crop of Idols appear for another season of love and snark at MJ’s!!!
Just read the blurb on bittyd’s site —
If he really felt he was misquoted and maligned, why go to his fanboard and post a photo of him with his bottom lip sticking out and hands up. (guess: because they’ll get up in arms, track the reporter down and make his entire life miserable from this day forward). Weenie.
Misquoted, out of context Chris — go after the reporter. Respectfully request that the statement be reported in it’s entirety or a retraction issued. Grow a backbone and straighten it out. Weenie.
All that said, I do remember a few articles about Chris bitching …(paraphrasing)….all they want to talk is Idol. He didn’t want to talk Idol, I presume because it hurt his rock (cough cough) creed. And, he was rude to the staff and children at a hospital — refused to sign autographs for the kids. He can be a pissy sort.
Happy Idol 7 day everyone! I can’t help myself.
Yep, Lu, “If I Go Away” is also a personal favorite of mine. “Man From Amsterdam” is also good. I also like “Man Like Me” and “Turn to Grey” (but then again I like everything in that CD, heh). ;) But if you want to hear snippets, so you can pick out what sounds good to you, you may want to go here:
http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Hollywood-Jon-Peter-Lewis/dp/B000JUB39I/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1200375170&sr=8-1
:D
I think it is great that Chris keeps his fans informed, talks to them, and doesn’t leave them up in the air wondering if he is even still alive (like some other idols we know). I don’t see any Chris fans going after the reporter either. It’s simply not that big of a deal.
The picture is cute, IMO.
Yes, HAPPY SEASON SEVEN Day!
I am probably disagreeing with a few. I still maintain that if AI had pushed Taylor’s album and had him as a guest singer mid-season, he would have hit the million sales mark. Some people may not have seen the previous season and Taylor’s win. I feel all American Idol winners should be treated fairly and equally.
Yes, this Granny voted for and bought Taylor Hicks’ album.