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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: American Idol

  • Is Four A Crowd For The American Idol Judges?

    When word got out yesterday morning that American Idol was introducing a fourth judge, my immediate response was to question why. And when I found out it was songwriter Kara DioGuardi, my next response was, “Who dis?”

    Money Mike smartened me up.

    She’s a pretty popular songwriter. Her name’s probably not known much outside of industry circles, but then again, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell’s weren’t either. She’s written for Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Kelly Clarkson-basically she’s Sony BMG’s right hand girl.

    She definitely has credentials. However, if they want to make some changes to the show, I don’t think they looked in the right place. While they are definitely a batty bunch, Simon, Paula, and Randy have really good chemistry together. And adding a fourth voice either takes away some of the Simon/Ryno Seacrest back and forth (which is either the best or worst thing on the show based on your sense of humor), or it makes the show feel more rushed. They are rushed enough.

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    Money Mike thinks it’s a change directly related to sliding ratings and it definitely could be that. But if that’s the case, I think it’s a bad move. It’s still the biggest show in America. I think they’ve made changes for the better recently. They’ve allowed the artists to play their own instruments and the show feels a little more human because of it. But changing the judges feels way too much like a publicity stunt. Mike thinks it’s there to create drama and I think he’s right. But it could create the wrong kind of drama. The kind that gets you to turn off the television.

    But the show is too iconic for it to really be hurt by anything short of Simon leaving, so I think they’ll be ok.

    Paula Abdul agrees with me though. And that’s a scary thought.

    She was interviewed by MTV.com’s Jocelyn Vena and had this to say.

    “I am concerned about the audience and acceptance. Time will tell. We’ll see.”

    She also added that having a fourth judge will take all the fun out of tie breaking and now breaking ties will probably fall into the hands of Simon.

    “I’m sure Simon will get to make the final [call]. It takes the fun out of all the hard work I do to push those kids through.”

  • David Archuleta Crushes Your Ear Drums

    David Archuleta’s single has been released, and as far as the charts are concerned, things look good for the American Idol youngster.

    According to Money Mike’s Chart Chat, Archuleta’s new single debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

    With how much love the AI folks showed Archuleta, it’s not a surprise that he charted so well. Well, maybe it was a slight surprise. As far as the quality of the song? It’s very predictable and exactly what you’d expect to hear from a young 17 year old, who even though doesn’t have much charisma, still has a really good voice. With a song titled Crush, you can imagine what it’s about. He has a crush on a girl and he wonders if she has a crush on him at the same time.

    Am I crazy or falling in love?

    Is it schmaltzy? Sure. Is it a bit weak vocally for him? Yes. But does it fit with everything else the young kids and teeny boppers are buying up these days? Yep. And that’s why it’s number two on the hot charts this week. Listen below.

    Crush – David Archuleta

  • J. Hud & The Twins Stand Under The “Spotlight”

    Jennifer Hudson’s trip from “American Idol”-also ran to Oscar-winning actress began with the release of “Dreamgirls” nearly two years ago. Since then, talk about a transition back to singer in the form of an album has run rampant, with a scheduled release date of late 2007 having come and gone.

    Finally, with the release of the single “Spotlight”, an album release date appears to be on the horizon, and the video officially premiered this past Tuesday. While the song (co-written by Ne-Yo, natch) doesn’t exactly have “huge pop single” written all over it, it’s a pleasant enough ditty that calls to mind early-Eighties soul/dance heavyweights like Cheryl Lynn and Evelyn “Champagne” King. It’s one of the few Ne-Yo songs that I can’t identify as his within 10 seconds, and Jennifer (and that ginormous rack) are going full force.

    What do you folks think?