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| American Idol Season 10 |
It looks like the same show, and itsounds like the same show. But it's really not the same show. It just doesn't have the same feel with Simon Cowellgone.
Maybe I'm too much of a traditionalist. Or maybe I'm just a typical fan of one of the most popular TV shows in the nation. It's only one day into Season 10 of “American Idol” and I'm already missing Simon Cowell. His snarky British accent. His brutally honest critiques. His occasional sparring with the other judges.
And I’m already a little bored with Jennifer Lopez. She looks great, but she’s too much of a softie. She’s trying too hard to replicate the overly sympathetic, motherly ways of Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi. She needs to toughen up.
As for Steven Tyler, the other new judge this season, I have mixed feelings. I expected him to be a little off the wall, and so far he is. I figured he would have nothing substantial to add to the show, but sometimes he'll spurt out a little bit of Simon's bluntness.
If your singing stinks, Tyler will let you know. But he’ll do it in a kinder, gentler way.
“Oh baby, you’re just not ready. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t think you’re American Idol stuff.”
“Your singing is like… I’m not sure if it’s your forte.”
Sometimes it’s tough to decipher Tyler’s words. During a brief clip from an upcoming audition episode, the Aerosmith frontman has this to say to a teenage country singer: “Well, hell fire, save matches, F--- a duck, and see what hatches.”
I have no idea what that means. But at least it made me laugh.
So, my early impressions of Steven Tyler as an Idol judge: He livens up the show with his off-beat remarks. But, just like J-Lo, he needs to toughen up a bit.
We’ll see if my opinion changes as the season progresses.
FIRST BATCH OF AUDITIONS
For all the talk about this being a new “American Idol,” the two-hour season premiere was pretty much the same old tune – minus Simon, of course.
Lots of hype from Ryan Seacrest. Lots of clips of screaming fans and ecstatic auditioners packing stadiums. Nervous contestants marching into the small audition room, hoping to impress the judges enough to earn a trip to Hollywood.
As usual, there were a few good singers with strong potential, and lots of average singers who probably should have stuck to their high school glee club instead of kidding themselves into thinking they could become an American pop star.
Oh, and what would Idol be without those out-of-key singers and mentally unstable misfits clearly seeking their 15 seconds of fame? And getting it. Although it wasn’t as much of a freak show as previous audition episodes, there were a handful of scary contestants who got some airtime on Fox last night.
JERSEY DREAMS
Last night’s season premiere focused on the New Jersey auditions, which began in early August at Izod Center at the Meadowlands. Even though the Idol production team made it appear that’s where the auditioners sang for the three judges, that phase of the auditions actually took place in Jersey City.
The TV auditions were taped at the Liberty House Restaurant, which has windows with a scenic view of the Manhattan skyline.
Amid all the fist-pumping, hair jokes and flashes of the Jersey Shore were some memorable contestants. Among them…
When Tiffany Rios, a dance instructor from Morris Plains, entered the audition room and started telling the judges why she started singing as a kid, she looked at J-Lo and started crying.
Turns out she was inspired at the age of 7 to become a singer after seeing J-Lo portray Selena in the movie about the life of the Mexican-American singer who was murdered in 1995.
So what does J-Lo do? She does exactly what Paula Abdul would have done. She gets up from her chair, walks over to the contestant and gives her a motherly hug. “Don’t cry, baby. I want you to do great. Okay?” J-Lo tells the Jersey girl. “You gotta pull it together. I want you to do great.”
Okay, a tender sweet moment, and a Jersey girl who is going to make the Garden State proud. All class and no trash…. Until she opens up her leather jacket.
She’s now showing a lot of cleavage with her zebra-striped bikini top, and two cardboard stars attached to her boobs. Maybe she got confused and thought she was auditioning for “Jersey Shore?”
Anyway, she sang an original song that included these lyrics: “America needs me,” for higher ratings on TV.” I thought her voice was decent, but not good enough to justify a ticket to Hollywood. She then covered her cleavage and tried a second song, “I’m Your Lady.” On this take, she sounded much better -- showing good vocal range, wowing the judges and earning a golden ticket.
“She’s out of her mind,” J-Lo says after a hysterical Tiffany does a wild celebration dance and runs out of the room. “But I love it.”
A floppy-haired guy named Caleb Hawley had a great bluesy voice as he sang an old Ray Charles and Jerry Reed song, “Hallelujah” (“Let me tell you ’bout a girl I know. She’s my baby and she lives next door…”).
Steven Tyler went wild, snapping his fingers, drumming along with his hands and mouthing the words, occasionally throwing in a high-pitched note. “Yes! Yes! That was so good!” Tyler raved. “High voice, character, something new, something different. That’s the thing!”
Hawley, a 25-year-old musician from New York, will be showing off his “thing” Friday night in Morristown. He’s scheduled to perform at the Minstrel Coffeehouse at 8 p.m.
OTHER MEMORABLE CONTESTANTS LAST NIGHT
Rachel Zevita, a 22-year-old New York City student who was booted early in the Hollywood round when she tried out for Idol in Season 6. Last night, she talked a good talk, but struggled with her singing. (It was a shaky rendition of “Hallelujah,” a heartwarming song that was overplayed last season – and also sung by Jason Castro a few seasons ago.) The judges cut Zevita her a break and sent her through to Hollywood. “We oughta let her in the door, water that flower, because it’s gonna grow,” said Tyler. Lopez said: “I’m gonna put you through on what I remember.”
Robbie Rosen, of Merrick, N.Y., with the first sob story of the new season. When he was a young kid, he was afflicted with a painful joint ailment called synovitis and was confined to a wheelchair. Doctors thought he would never walk. But now he’s walking, and he’s singing, and… he’s pretty damn good. He had one of the best voices of the night, and he earned an easy ticket to Hollywood with his heartfelt rendition of “Yesterday.”
Chris Cordeiro, an 18-year-old kid from the Bergen County town of North Arlington, has a lot going for him. He’s a student at Fordham College. He’s a Boy Scout waiting for his Eagle badge. He produced a video touting the dangers of texting and driving. But can he sing Sinatra?
Steven Tyler summed it up best: “You scared everyone in the room.”
(And not just by his voice, but his choice of clothing: a plaid shirt, pork-pie hat and cargo shorts. Was this guy going camping or going on an audition?)
Ashley Sullivan, a 25-year-old mall worker from Springfield, Mass., who totally worships Britney Spears. One of the judges described her performance and personality as “unbridled enthusiasm.” But it was more like borderline insanity. Even more insane was the fact that she won a ticket to Hollywood. (Randy was the only sensible judge who voted no, but he was outnumbered.)
Victoria Huggins, a 16-year-old Miley Cyrus wannabe who sounds a bit like Minnie Mouse. She has a squeaky voice and she’s a ball of energy, but a pretty good singer and pretty funny too. She had everyone in the audition room cracking up when she mimicked Randy’s favorite words: “Yo, Yo, Dawg.” The judges loved her and sent her to the Hollywood round.
Genise Deal, a 20-year-old student/ waitress from Teaneck, didn’t make it through to Hollywood but had the judges playfully singing along with her as she belted out “I’m a Believer.”
A Michael Jackson impersonator named Yoji Asano, a.k.a. Yoji Pop, from Japan (and Brooklyn) who didn’t sing any MJ songs. Instead, he went for Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the U.S.A.” (the same song chosen by scores of other auditioners, young and old)
The final contestant shown last night was Travis Orlando, a 16-year-old kid from the Bronx who spent a few years of his life in a homeless shelter. He has a smooth voice that pleased the judges enough to earn a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Kenzie Palmer, a young performing arts student from West Middlesex, Pa., had a very good voice, sounding much more mature than her 15 years. But the judges debated whether to send her to Hollywood.
“I wasn’t feeling that pizzazz,” said Steven Tyler. “You sang beautiful, but I just wasn’t feeling that.”
J-Lo and Randy Jackson ended up persuading Tyler to vote yes, so Kenzie earned three votes.
Achille Lovle, a retail sales associate originally from the Ivory Coast but now from the Bronx, completely butchered Madonna’s “Dress You Up.”
All three judges tried their best to be as polite as possible. “You gotta pull those wild horses in,” said Tyler. “Oh, how do I say this?” said J-Lo. “It’s not about your accent. You know, I think it’s more really just about the singing.” “It’s not your thing, baby,” Jackson said softly.
And in my head, as I watched the show, I could just imagine Simon Cowell’s blunt and snarky words echoing through the audition room: “That was absolutely dreadful. It was a complete and utter disaster.”
GOLDEN TICKETS
The New Jersey auditions concluded with 51 singers earning the golden Idol ticket to the Hollywood round. Next up: Tonight’s show (8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on FOX) will focus on the auditions that were taped last summer in New Orleans.
