Cowell optimistic about Season 7
Simon Cowell has made a career out of his tell-it-like-it-is attitude.
So it may come as a bit of a surprise that the "American Idol" judge is upbeat as he talks about this year's crop of singers.
"I'm not going to name any names because I always get into trouble for doing that," Cowell says during a recent conference call with reporters. "There are luckily three or four very strong guys and three or four very strong girls this year. It's probably going to be one of the most open competitions we've ever had."
That's good news for the Fox reality show, which begins its seventh season this week (8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday) with four hours of audition footage from Philadelphia and Dallas.
Although "Idol" has rather convincingly won out in the ratings -- even when Hollywood's writers weren't on strike -- the show's top vote-getters have had mixed results in what Cowell describes as a fickle music industry.
Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks announced last Tuesday that he and Arista Records are parting ways by mutual consent. Late last year, "American Idol" Season 2 champ Ruben Studdard was dropped from the J Records roster, and Thursday, Entertainment Weekly reported that Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee was being dropped by RCA Records.
"I've run a record label for 25 years, and the one thing I know about this business is it is horribly unpredictable," Cowell says. "Ruben certainly would have been one of the ones you would have backed at the beginning to be on his third or fourth album now, and it just didn't work out. There's no scientific or logical way of explaining why that happened."
The 2007 "Idol" winner, Jordin Sparks, and runner-up Blake Lewis also have had lackluster album sales. Both artists failed to score No. 1 hits.
"Well, I'm naturally disappointed they didn't sell more copies or that either artist has (not) caught on fire," Cowell says. "That's what you want. I mean you want something like a Carrie (Underwood) or a (Chris) Daughtry or a Kelly Clarkson, where they're competing with the Mariahs and everybody else. It didn't happen."
As Cowell eluded to, it hasn't all been dour news for the franchise's alums.
"Daughtry," the debut CD from Season 5 fourth-place contestant Chris Daughtry's group, finished as the fifth biggest hit of 2007, having sold 2.5 million copies. And Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood's second CD, "Carnival Ride," landed at No. 12 for the year with sales of almost 1.7 million copies.
"We are a reality show and what happens at the end is also reality," Cowell says. "You have to take the knocks with the good things."
The up-and-down album sales haven't deterred would-be stars from auditioning for the show. Tens of thousands of hopefuls auditioned at stops in Philadelphia; Dallas; Omaha, Neb., San Diego; Atlanta; Charleston, S.C.; and Miami for a chance to be the next "American Idol."
Cowell's wit and candor are at their best during these episodes.
"Is it fun doing it? No," Cowell says. "It is becoming increasingly like torture. ... What's amazing, even after seven seasons, is how much they still believe that they're right and I'm wrong. They got more argumentative with me this year. All I'm trying to do is help them."
Still, Cowell admits that screeching vocalists make for good television.
"I think that you have to have that mix within the show," Cowell says. "I think that if it was completely sanitized, the audition process, that everybody came in and they were just competent, I think it would probably be the most boring show on TV."
That doesn't mean there won't be a few changes this season. Perhaps one of the biggest criticism's about Season 6 was the attention paid to the celebrity mentors -- artists such as Bon Jovi and Tony Bennett -- who offered advice each week. This year, that attention will be given to the contestants.
"If you had asked me, for instance, what do you know about the girl (Sparks) who won last year?" Cowell says. "Other than the fact she's a good singer, I couldn't really tell you myself, and I was a judge on the show.
"We didn't let the audience at home know enough about where they live, what their likes or dislikes were because everything was about their chat with Diana Ross or J. Lo or whoever it was."
Cowell also knows that such tweaks have little to do with the contestants' vocal abilities and whether or not the most talented singers will show up at all.
"We are absolutely in the lap of who walks in the door, and there's nothing much we can do about that," Cowell says. "Having gone through whatever it is -- six months of auditions, Hollywood rounds, narrowing down the field--I think we're going to be in a much better place in six months' time than we were last year."
Although Cowell is much more optimistic about this season than last, he also is a realist. If the current state of past "Idol" flops continues, the show itself will lose its appeal -- if not for the audience, at least for himself.
"I think the exit point is determined by the public who eventually are going to get sick to death of me, if they haven't already," Cowell says. "I'd always, in my mind, kind of thought I would go up until the end of my contract, which would mean two more seasons after this one. Nine years is probably enough to inflict on anyone.
"Can the show exist without me?" Cowell adds. "Absolutely. It'll probably get better."
source: http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080113/Ent/801130503/1041/Ent
So it may come as a bit of a surprise that the "American Idol" judge is upbeat as he talks about this year's crop of singers.
"I'm not going to name any names because I always get into trouble for doing that," Cowell says during a recent conference call with reporters. "There are luckily three or four very strong guys and three or four very strong girls this year. It's probably going to be one of the most open competitions we've ever had."
That's good news for the Fox reality show, which begins its seventh season this week (8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday) with four hours of audition footage from Philadelphia and Dallas.
Although "Idol" has rather convincingly won out in the ratings -- even when Hollywood's writers weren't on strike -- the show's top vote-getters have had mixed results in what Cowell describes as a fickle music industry.
Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks announced last Tuesday that he and Arista Records are parting ways by mutual consent. Late last year, "American Idol" Season 2 champ Ruben Studdard was dropped from the J Records roster, and Thursday, Entertainment Weekly reported that Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee was being dropped by RCA Records.
"I've run a record label for 25 years, and the one thing I know about this business is it is horribly unpredictable," Cowell says. "Ruben certainly would have been one of the ones you would have backed at the beginning to be on his third or fourth album now, and it just didn't work out. There's no scientific or logical way of explaining why that happened."
The 2007 "Idol" winner, Jordin Sparks, and runner-up Blake Lewis also have had lackluster album sales. Both artists failed to score No. 1 hits.
"Well, I'm naturally disappointed they didn't sell more copies or that either artist has (not) caught on fire," Cowell says. "That's what you want. I mean you want something like a Carrie (Underwood) or a (Chris) Daughtry or a Kelly Clarkson, where they're competing with the Mariahs and everybody else. It didn't happen."
As Cowell eluded to, it hasn't all been dour news for the franchise's alums.
"Daughtry," the debut CD from Season 5 fourth-place contestant Chris Daughtry's group, finished as the fifth biggest hit of 2007, having sold 2.5 million copies. And Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood's second CD, "Carnival Ride," landed at No. 12 for the year with sales of almost 1.7 million copies.
"We are a reality show and what happens at the end is also reality," Cowell says. "You have to take the knocks with the good things."
The up-and-down album sales haven't deterred would-be stars from auditioning for the show. Tens of thousands of hopefuls auditioned at stops in Philadelphia; Dallas; Omaha, Neb., San Diego; Atlanta; Charleston, S.C.; and Miami for a chance to be the next "American Idol."
Cowell's wit and candor are at their best during these episodes.
"Is it fun doing it? No," Cowell says. "It is becoming increasingly like torture. ... What's amazing, even after seven seasons, is how much they still believe that they're right and I'm wrong. They got more argumentative with me this year. All I'm trying to do is help them."
Still, Cowell admits that screeching vocalists make for good television.
"I think that you have to have that mix within the show," Cowell says. "I think that if it was completely sanitized, the audition process, that everybody came in and they were just competent, I think it would probably be the most boring show on TV."
That doesn't mean there won't be a few changes this season. Perhaps one of the biggest criticism's about Season 6 was the attention paid to the celebrity mentors -- artists such as Bon Jovi and Tony Bennett -- who offered advice each week. This year, that attention will be given to the contestants.
"If you had asked me, for instance, what do you know about the girl (Sparks) who won last year?" Cowell says. "Other than the fact she's a good singer, I couldn't really tell you myself, and I was a judge on the show.
"We didn't let the audience at home know enough about where they live, what their likes or dislikes were because everything was about their chat with Diana Ross or J. Lo or whoever it was."
Cowell also knows that such tweaks have little to do with the contestants' vocal abilities and whether or not the most talented singers will show up at all.
"We are absolutely in the lap of who walks in the door, and there's nothing much we can do about that," Cowell says. "Having gone through whatever it is -- six months of auditions, Hollywood rounds, narrowing down the field--I think we're going to be in a much better place in six months' time than we were last year."
Although Cowell is much more optimistic about this season than last, he also is a realist. If the current state of past "Idol" flops continues, the show itself will lose its appeal -- if not for the audience, at least for himself.
"I think the exit point is determined by the public who eventually are going to get sick to death of me, if they haven't already," Cowell says. "I'd always, in my mind, kind of thought I would go up until the end of my contract, which would mean two more seasons after this one. Nine years is probably enough to inflict on anyone.
"Can the show exist without me?" Cowell adds. "Absolutely. It'll probably get better."
source: http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080113/Ent/801130503/1041/Ent
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