Add to this frustration the fact that Simon Cowell was leaving Idol, and I was completely underwhelmed about blogging this year. Going into the season, I told myself I wasn't going to waste my time on it. If Simon was leaving, they might as well just cancel Idol. He makes the show.
Now that we are four weeks into season 10 of Idol... I have three words to sum up my initial feelings:
I. Was. Wrong.
Dead wrong. Idol is completely capable of existing without Simon. In fact... I have no fear in saying that I even think Idol is BETTER this year. Dare I say, better than EVER? I will definitely stick my neck out and say, thus far, this is my favorite season of Idol ever.
Now I know some of you may disagree with me.... but hear me out. I'll give you my reasons why I feel that this revamp of Idol was the best thing they could do to revive the series from its dead-on-arrival ninth season:
- Steven Tyler is captivating. Steven has this unique way of being funny and heartfelt all wrapped into one. Did anyone expect Steven to be as lovable and sympathetic as he is? I know I didn't. Plus... the guy has got jokes! He makes me laugh at least once an episode. I love his energy and enthusiasm for the contestants. I love that he will randomly break into song with a contestant. At first I thought this was a disasterous decision by the Idol team to add him to the panel, but now we are seeing what the execs must have seen all along. He can captivate an audience and bring a fresh approach to the judging panel.
- Jennifer Lopez is endearing. JLO was another person that I totally had a false perception of. I thought she was going to come in and be all diva-ish, when in actuality she is quite the opposite. She is relatable, approachable, and loving. And the most important thing about all of those qualities is that she can be all of them at once, without being clingy, annoying and self centered. Which brings me to my third reason:
- The panel doesn't include a Paula or a Kara. For the first time in Idol history, there isn't a whiny, overly weepy, fake female on the panel! So yes, Jennifer does cry, but it is completely sincere. Paula and Kara just brought this ingenuine feeling to the panel. They were emotional, and tried to make it seem that they genuinely cared for the contestants, but I just didn't really feel it. With Jennifer, I feel it. Without Paula or Kara on the panel, it has improved the show tremendously.
- Randy has more substance. With Randy stepping up as the senior member of the panel, I feel like he is contributing more than he has in past seasons. He's not all "dawg"ed out this season, and I appreciate it. He's giving the contestants more constructive feedback instead of just telling them he "wasn't feelin' it".
Ashton Jones: A mix of Rhianna and Beyonce. She definitely has the look and the chops to back it up. Plus, she seems so darn sweet and likable.
Julie Zorrilla: This girl is gorgeous, and she has a beautiful delicate voice. It was nice to hear her play the keyobard as well. I've enjoyed her fashion so far! I think she's current.
Karen Rodriguez: Hadn't really stood out to me until her Beatles performance last night, and then she stood out. Good stage presence, and a likable personality.
Naima Adedapo: When you're casting for unique contestants, this is a hit on the bullseye. Naima has a memorable look, and her gritty, passionate vocals are also hard to forget.
Robbie Rosen: Robbie sure nose how to impress the judges! (Mean-spirited pun intended). Joking aside, he's stood out for his soulfulness everytime he's performed. I smell a top 10 finalist! (OK, really... I'll stop now.)
Scotty McCreery: So Scotty's got a bit of controversy surrounding him, but at the end of the day this kid will sell country records. No doubt about it. He's got a look that will make little country girls shriek, and that memorable deep voice is hard to ignore.
Stefano Langone: OK... so this may be a little bit of 14 year old girl coming out in me, but how can you resist Stefano's smile and big beautiful brown eyes? He's definitely the "dreamiest" of the guys remaining. He's got a lot of charisma, almost to the point of being too much... but if he can harness it, I could see him making it at least to the tour.
Now that I've named these people, I hope that all of them make it tonight when they announce the remaining finalists!
There are two names I didn't include in that group because I wanted to make special note of them:
Jacee Badeaux: This kid is ratings gold! They have already made such a strong storyline for him with the whole kicked-out-of-my-group thing... plus I mean, how can you not just give the kid credit for having natural talent with not a single ounce of arrogance? It's commendable. All I know is if he makes it to voting rounds, he won't be going home anytime soon. American already loves him.
Lauren Alaina: I always hate to make early predictions, but at this point if anyone has the ability to win season 10, I'd put my money on Lauren. She has the it factor for sure. She's cute, and dang can she sing! The thing about Idol in recent seasons is that the contestants who are pimped early (Adam Lambert, Lil Rounds, Crystal Bowersox, Andrew Garcia, etc) end up making it far, but never quite winning. Lauren's just gotta lay low for a bit, and make sure to not come with a full arsenal during the first few weeks. America likes to see progression and improvement.
So there you go... my thoughts on Idol so far this season. After the official top 24 list is revealed, I'll probably have more to say. Although I will not be officially blogging on "4 the Love..." this year, I will make updates here on my personal blog about the show from time to time, so I encourage to you to check in or subscribe if you are a passionate Idol follower.
Happy Idol'ing!
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