New "Idol" judges -- will it work?
After months of speculation, “American Idol” finally announced its lineup of judges for the upcoming season – Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson. (Good looking out, Dawg!)
In this afternoon’s press conference, Tyler said he wants to “bring some rock to this rollercoaster.” Lopez said she’s “looking for the next Michael Jackson.”
Um, cool.
Is this lineup going to work? Who knows?
There’s certainly a lot more personality in this bunch compared to the last one. Both Lopez and Tyler know how to get attention and will probably do so and both will not have Ellen DeGeneres’ problem of watching her words in order to be nice.
However, will that make for good TV? Will it help bring together a more interesting class of “Idol” hopefuls? That’s actually the more important question, because, after all, that’s what’s going to generate long-term ratings for the show beyond the initial car-crash factor of watching this gang interact and all the clucking of “not as good as Simon Cowell.” (That will intensify after this season, when “Idol” will have to compete for both talent and buzz with Cowell’s “X Factor.”)
In many ways, the behind-the-scenes machinations of Nigel Lythgoe to get good “Idol” candidates – including the latest move to open up auditions to Internet submissions – will have a greater impact than the judges in front of the camera.
One thing is for sure, though. This will be a career bonanza for both Lopez, who is still looking for a new major-label deal and a home for the new album turned away by Epic this spring, and for Tyler, who is looking to step away from Aerosmith and launch his solo career.
The other sure thing? We’ll tune in – at least at the beginning.
Most Popular
Top Stories
