The lengthy (and really informative–worth the read) USA Today article that leads today’s headlines thread featured a short list of tweaks to look out for in Season 7’s competition:
- Letting singers play musical instruments during their performances in the first combined gathering of audition survivors, known as the Hollywood Round.
- Visiting finalists’ hometowns and interviewing family and friends earlier in the process to help viewers get to know them faster.
- Building a new set and creating a new opening credits sequence. Idol’s theme song will remain the same.
- Adding an hour to the Hollywood Round and a possible “where are they now?” segment to highlight earlier Idol performers on top-12 results shows.
And from today’s Daily News Rush and Molloy column. BMG execs offer more insight to why Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee and Ruben Studdard were dropped from their labels:
McPhee’s first CD entered the charts at No. 2 in February 2007, but failed to go gold. Her defenders grouse that RCA didn’t give her the time or promotion she needed.
“We put millions behind Katharine. Many of us at the label still love her songs. But we’re in the major leagues. We didn’t think she could break into the mainstream. We would rather be honest.” (McPhee is talking with another label and is due to star in the movie “I Know What Boys Like.”)
The exec noted that Studdard (above, right) put out three albums, “but there comes a time when we have to recognize the market for adult-oriented albums is tough. We allowed him to be a free agent, to make the record he wanted to make.
“The same thing with Taylor Hicks (above, left). We didn’t want to shove any songs down his throat. We wanted to make an album in the style he was comfortable with. We mutually agreed that he’d work on an album [on his own], we’d listen, and we’d see where we go from there. There’s no acrimony.”
So, it looks like Katharine and Ruben’s relationships with their respective labels are kaput, while Taylor could possibly be working with Arista again if they like the album he produces on his own…
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They’ll def need a new opening sequence. Wild guess - no shots of Ruben or Taylor at the beginning of the show anymore. I like the idea of the Where are they now for past contestants. I’d like to see Bucky and Elliott back(of course).
Oooh, yay new opening sequence and new set. I think I’d also enjoy the “Where Are They Now” segment with former Idols. :)
I hope they keep all the winners pictures in the opening to give them some respect but it did need a change it was getting old. Elliott and Kellie onlast year instead of Kat or Taylor(whom were 1st and 2nd) was very disrespectfull of AI even if they were thier favs.This on the regular season not finals. That was major mistep along with ignoring of the contestants made the season lose focus.
No I am not thrilled about “where are they now ” but may wrk if they are not too cute about it. I think it should stick to season 6 to give them credit they deserve not 5 .
FYI-If Elliott or Kelly P were in 1st or second not on the show and Taylor was it would still be a mistep/
They usually switch things up every three years, anyway. The new intro new stage doesn’t really surprise me.
I am, however, hoping that they do a CD this season. That is one of the big things I missed last year. I’m one of the fans who can’t just go buy the songs each week off the website.
This is so minor, but I hope they bring back “Bad Day” as the kiss-off song. I have nothing against Daughtry’s song, but “Bad Day” just fits that segment so perfectly. Every time I hear it I think about Season 5.
I did just read this morning on another site that somebody heard on the radio that Bad Day was going to the the kiss-off song. I hope this is correct information.
It sounds to me like Taylor & Ruben both got the same kiss-off. “Go record the album on your own, if we like it we will help distribute it.” jmho.
and I really hope ‘Bad Day’ is the kick off song again. It fit perfect. I LOVE ‘Home’ but it just didn’t work as the kick off song.
Can’t wait for the new Idol sequence. Methinks it will be comprised entirely of shots of Carrie and Daughtry. I also expect that every time one of their names is mentioned throughout the season, it will be with the same level of fanfare as Stephen Colbert’s surgeon got when he appeared on The Colbert Report.
On the plus side, when the camera pans to the audience, we might be able to catch glimpses of Taylor and Ruben in their new jobs as seat-fillers. And watch for Kat as the Trophy-Handing Girl during the Golden Idol Awards this season finale!
MJ,is the USAToday article you are talking about on the front page of the paper or is it in the Entertainment section? I think the one on the front page is more comprehensive than the other. But the thing that bothered me is that apparently USAToday has no love at all for the Season 5 winner. Instead of including Taylor Hicks with those gathered around the American Idol logo, his image was conspicuously absent. Remember, this is the front page of the paper and everyone who sees it will immediately notice the omission. Instead, we see SIMON (of all people), Jordin, Ruben, Carrie and Kelly. Apparently Fantasia is not one of the elite either since her image was also conspicuously absent. It looks like the media is trying to eradicate both, as if they never existed.
Interesting that they spent “millions” on Kat but didn’t mention how much they spent on Taylor. I wonder why????? (Or Ruben either, for that matter.)
Chewsday they spent $7.50 on his hat, $14.99 on his jacket, $22.45 on his trousers and a whopping $4.75 for his *official* car parking name tag.
Thank goodness he got to wear his own aligator boots though.
I bought a copy of USA Today on my way to work this morning because the Idol cover story grabbed my attention. I aced all the questions in the Idol quiz. Hee. Example:
Which contestant has the best-selling album to date?
A. Clay Aiken
B. Carrie Underwood
C. Kelly Clarkson
D. Justin Guarini
I felt bad for Justin Guarini..NOT!
They did that for Canadian Idol this past season, and it worked!
Just because they no longer have record contracts with J Records doesn’t effect their relationship with AI I would think. Taylor and Rueben still are the winners of American Idol. The record contract was simply one of the the prizes they were awarded. They may not be pushed as hard on the show this year as others but I think their presence will still be there. I don’t think they (the Simons) are stupid enough to alienate more fans than they did last year, but what do I know, I’m not British.
basically, what they’re saying is:
ruben: you had your chance but now we can’t trust you to move any more units. so long.
kat: we had a much shorter leash for you because despite millions of dollars in promo, we couldn’t even get gold. sorry, it’s business.
taylor: if you can make the music you want and can sell multi-platinum being you, we’ll take you back, certainly. but we won’t be holding our breath. best of luck, don’t let the door hit you on your way out.