Photo Credit: Michael Becker / FOX
Season 12 of American Idol premieres this week! It’s okay, you don’t have to pretend you don’t care or aren’t curious because we all are (all while hoping this is the last season, I hear you). Season 12 opens with an acoustic performance of “Home” by Season 11 winner, Phillip Phillips in an empty theater that we’d all love to be seated in. He is without a doubt one of my favorite Idol contestants ever. He’s in my top 5. So all is well and good until host, Ryan Seacrest interrupts the performance with his voice-over starting the montage. What I like best about the montage is that it shows all of the greats, Kelly, Carrie, Jennifer, and Jessica. Yes, Jessica Sanchez. A spot I love to see but is it appropriate with no Grammys, Oscars, or Broadway debuts under her belt? I’m a huge Sanchez fan but even I found this placement to be a bit too soon. She has proven herself to Idol fans as one of the best but to the rest of America? The world? Hmm. As much as I love Jessica Sanchez, I really don’t think she’s a household name yet. Yet.
“Do you have a nickname, because I don’t really think ‘Griffin’ when I see you. Grrrr. What about Grrr?” – Nicki Minaj
Then we meet the judges. For some reason I find it hilarious that Randy Jackson needs an introduction at this point. So I’m skipping Jackson… the new judges, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, and Nicki Minaj are introduced to the nation and what an eclectic panel of judges we have here. They make some great TV. And that’s aside from the very strong personalities of Carey & Minaj (Poor Keith Urban, stuck in the middle). The facial expressions that Minaj gives at Carey are just as hysterical as the faces that Carey makes when she is trying not to laugh. Boy, does she try. No one wants to be laughed at by Mariah Carey but let’s be real. No one can measure up to her signing abilities so… it’s okay, Carey. Let it out. While we all know that it wouldn’t be wise to laugh at all of the contestants, it’s okay to let loose once in awhile. Now for those who loved L.A. Reid’s facial expressions on The X Factor when he really got into a number, you’ll be very entertained by Carey. Oh, you just wait.
Premiere week shows the New York & Chicago auditions. The talent is what you’d expect. It is season twelve. Justin Bieber wannabes. Napoleon Dynamite. A girl who has a beautiful voice but absolutely no control. Had Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson been the judges, she would have never gotten through. Season 12? Straight to Hollywood. One of the contestants we meet went to Camp Mariah back in the day but with all of the mentoring that Minaj is doing this season, I’d say a Camp Nicki needs to be created. The standout performance from the sneak peak screener would probably go to Ashley Feliceano, 20 from East Hartford, CT who really makes a Corrine Bailey Rae number her own and rocks it. She’s good. Will she make it to the Top 20? Probably not. But she is very good and could indeed have a successful music career outside of Idol.
There’s a lot to look forward to this season. It’s looking like more talent than gimmicks and more laughs from the judges table than from the contestants which is slightly refreshing. Whether that’s too little too late is to be determined but if not – and if this panel doesn’t kill each other, they could really make some great TV for another season. But that’s it. I really don’t see American Idol going on for another season but if so, I definitely do not see it going past a season 13. Either way, tune into the auditions. You know you want to!
Watch the American Idol Season 12 two-night premiere Wednesday, Jan. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, Jan. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.