It's American Idol season again

If you are among those who believe that the winners of American Idol are big stars, then it is now time you change your mind. The discoveries may be big, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry and others now sell Platinum albums but it is also a fact that American Idol, the TV show and its cast of judges has become bigger than any of them.

Take for example what is happening nowadays. Viewers may be watching the auditions but their minds are actually thinking of the following: 1.) I miss Paula Abdul. 2.) Simon Cowell will be gone next year. 3.) Will Randy Jackson be able to hold the fort? 4.) Kara Dioguardi is just OK. 5.) Ellen is fantastic but we still do not know how she will fare as an Idol judge. 6.) The guest judges we’ve seen, Victoria Beckham and Mary J. Blige are just OK. Nothing special. 7.) And we still miss Paula. Even her bickering with Simon. 8.) And dreadful thought, we will be missing Simon next year. So who cares about the contestants?

And then with the arrival of Ellen for the finals round a few weeks from now, you can bet that American Idol will literally be wallowing in judges’ star power. In a situation like that, viewers will surely spend their time watching them rather than the contestants. So I say those kids who will make the finals should be taught lessons on how to generate star quality and outshine those oh-soooo popular judges.

And since we are now in Idol mode, you might want to check out the latest releases from some of Idol’s brightest discoveries.

Kris Allen, by Season 8 winner Kris Allen. This album is proof that all the hype about Adam Lambert being more deserving of the title has worked to Allen’s advantage. You have been pushed into thinking that he’s not as good, that it is almost a relief when you discover that he is. His Kris Allen, is a well-made pop-rock album with excellent work by Allen.

His versatility shines in every cut. Allen rocks in Alright With Me by Joe King of The Fray. He takes Kanye’s Heartless and makes it his own. He also has something for you if you like emo with Bring It Back. And if you want something with great recall, there is the first single Live Like We’re Dying. This is one of the best CDs to come from an Idol winner and Allen is so nice people can’thelp but wish his album sells lots of copies.

From out of Season 4, winner Underwood has a new album titled Play On. This is her third CD after Some Hearts and Carnival Ride. Everybody knows Carrie. She has become a huge country music star, sold over 10 million albums, won Grammys, CMAs, AMAs and others. You can expect her to remain on top for a long, long, time.

The great thing about this girl is she does not seem to want to rest on her laurels. Given how she sounds in Play On, you can bet that Underwood works regularly on her vocals, expanding her range and finding ways to best express every song. She can perhaps do with more body in her low notes, but all in all, she sounds better than she ever did, stringing rock, pop and R&B to create her kind of crossover country.

The best of the lot is Temporary Home, a lovely ballad where her singing is at its most tender. The first single though is the toe-tapping Cowboy Casanova country music queen Reba would have loved.

If a computer could come up with a perfect voice, it would be Lambert’s. Wide range, perfect technique and amazing versatility. But Lambert comes on too strong and is too cultivated for me. That is good perhaps for musical theater where sound and personality must be magnified to reach all the seats. Now if I could add some vulnerability and then maybe some restraint, I’ll like the package more. Others may not want to though because they like him as he is.

Titled For Your Entertainment the CD is an epic production with songs by Lady Gaga, Fever, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Sleepwalker and other big names. As in his Idol performances, Lambert holds nothing back. The repertoire is varied and each song is treated as a showcase. So if you want something that goes over the top all the time, this is it for you.