American Idol Season 13 on a roll

Having good competition helps. And I find it great that American Idol (AI) has taken this to heart and risen to the challenge presented by other singing contests like The Voice and The X-Factor. I do not know how the ratings went for its 13th Season premiere last week but surely, it cannot be worse than last year’s. Season 12 saw Idol’s lowest rating ever and it was in big danger of eating dust from the newer shows. Truth to tell, I found the last season so bad that I do not even remember who won. Do you?

There were several reasons why American Idol treaded water last year. There were the judges who turned out to be a marketing nightmare. Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, either by their lonesome, or together, really sucked. There was also the lack of star quality among the contestants, a problem that had been festering the show these past few years. It was also the over-all viewer appeal of Idol. It seemed like a lot of people behind the show were sleeping on their jobs. 

Then just as we were getting prepared to write off AI as a tired has-been, here it is again and it is looking better than ever. Season 13 premiered last Jan. 16 on Star World. The show will air from now on, every week on this time schedule on Thursdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. And it is much, much better all around.

I have not checked on the ratings.  But high, low or whatever, I know the show is back on top or will be again very soon. I am so glad that the producers took the ratings drop these past seasons to heart and decided to do something about it. I like to think that they stood pat, dug their heels in and decided they are not giving up on what has become an American tradition. And I am glad that the changes they made are working well.

Think it is too soon to say “tradition”? Not at all.  American Idol is now 13 years old. One of those who auditioned was the son of a finalist from the first season.  15-year-olds toting their guitars say that they had wanted to be on the show ever since they saw it when they were three or four years old. That is how old Idol is. And I am glad that the people behind the show are not that set in their ways to be unable to make the necessary changes.

I never thought it could happen again, but here I am watching American Idol and enjoying every bit of it. I like the playful banter of the judges. I laugh and I get teary-eyed over the contestants. Emcee Ryan Seacrest is so upbeat throughout. The choice of footage, the editing, little touches like the judges lolling on a sofa or that bit of getting the contestants to sing People are People and a lot of other new tweaks make for an exciting show. I am already excited over next week’s auditions and I am even watching the replays.

 I like it that American Idol has decided to use this great tag: The search for a superstar. This is very true.  While many of us have indeed grown to enjoy The Voice and The X-Factor over Idol this past season or two, it remains a fact that those other shows still have to produce stars. This is not because they do not have deserving winners. They do. For now though, the names that we hear most about are the winners of AI. In fact, I still have to come across hit albums by the singing champs from those other shows. Perhaps in a year or two. But the Idols, even non-winners like Kelly Pickler get instant name recall.  American Idol does make the stars.

It also pays to have judges who are not only knowledgeable with what they are supposed to do but are also basically nice people. The comebacking Jennifer Lopez, hold-over from last Season Keith Urban and newcomer Harry Connick Jr., represent different facets of popular music, namely, pop, country and jazz. They have very good chemistry with no urge to upstage one another.  They are witty and funny and are great fun to watch. All of them are also very attractive. 

Take note though that American Idol is not about the judges though we might enjoy watching them. The show is about the contestants and if AI wants to remain alive and kicking for many more years, it has to produce somebody in the magnitude of a Kelly Clarkson or a Carrie Underwood fast.