Monday, May 20, 2013

Simon's Angels



            American Idol, The Voice, The X-Factor… Did I miss a show? Oh yes, America’s Got Talent; even though it’s open to all acts, not just singing, I guess it falls under the same category. This blog post is dedicated to the judges of such shows and the spiral of articles I’ve been reading this past week in regards to these high-paid divas, artists, and producers.

            I wrote a blog post last week about Randy Jackson’s departure from Idol after 12 seasons, as well as the high possibility that none of the remaining three judges will be asked to return. Since then, it looks like it may be a fact indeed. Mariah Carey has plans of touring, Nicki Minaj has been cast to star in Nick Cassavete’s new film (yes, you read correctly) and will be working on her third album, and Keith, well he says he would like to come back. Click here to read an article by Dave Holmes from Vulture in which he gives ten tips to the producers to make Idol better next season.

            On the other hand, not long after Shakira confirmed she will not be returning for season five of The Voice, a statement was released that both Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green (original judges for the first three seasons) will be back for the fall season; however, here’s the catch. Shakira (and Usher) will return for season six next spring

            Last but not least, here’s the main reason why I decided to write this blog post. Once again while religiously scrolling down the top news on IMDb this morning, I ran across an article that gave me hope in The X-Factor once more. It turns out Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato will be joined by two beautiful ladies; the first time a judging panel consists predominantly of females. The ladies are Kelly Rowland, founding member of Destiny’s Child, and Mexican pop star Paulina Rubio.
The tactic is interesting because all four judges stand in a different decade in terms of birth year and have judging experience. Demi Lovato (20) is a pop singer and judged last year’s season two. Kelly Rowland (32) is in the R&B genre and judged season eight of The X-Factor UK. Paulina Rubio (41) is an icon in Mexican pop music and is an original member of legendary band Timbiriche; she judged Mexico’s version of The Voice and is currently judging a kid’s version as well. And Simon Cowell (53), I need not to mention what he has under his belt.

            These news about "Simon's Angels" are way more exciting than finding out last year that Britney Spears would judge season two. My parents and I grew up listening to the music of Timbiriche and I was somewhat of a fan of Paulina during her solo career. It’s also interesting to see that the show will have three Hispanic personalities (Demi and Paulina, as well as returning host Mario Lopez).

            What are your thoughts on these tactics by both The Voice and The X-Factor? Feel free to share and comment below.

http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/05/19/x-factor-judges-paulina-rubio-kelly-rowland/


4 comments:

  1. Hey Ricardo,

    I enjoyed reading your blog post. With all these reality TV talent shows it gets confusing on who is the judges on which show. Thanks for being specific on which judges are for which shows, especially for those who do not follow these shows that closely.

    Which talent competition do you like the most and why? What makes each of these shows unique from the rest? Does the artists that are judges and hosts to the shows make a difference on who watches the shows? If you can choose, who you would have on the panel to serve as judges?

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    1. Hello Reeza,

      I'm glad you found my blog post helpful. Honestly, it depends on the season; the judges, contestants, and overall episodes can totally change the way I feel about a show. I can tell you I really enjoyed season two of "The X-Factor." The talent was amazing, the song selections were proper, and even though I thought Britney did a horrible job, I think the chemistry between the judges worked well.

      There's a rumor that the panel of "Idol's" next season will consist of alumni. Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson are in negotiations. (I'll be writing a blog post about that soon, so keep an eye for that!) But to answer your question, it would be interesting to see legends such as Cher, Bono, Janet Jackson, or Celine Dion be part of either "Idol" or "X-Factor." As of more contemporary artists, I think P!NK or Gaga would be great.

      Have a good one,

      Ricardo.

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  2. Hi, Ricardo!

    I found your blog post quite interesting. I watch all of the shows and I really enjoy it. American Idol has really has changed a lot since the start. The controversy between Nicki and Mariah this year really got out of hand. I feel it really hurt the American Idol brand. I hope Simon knows what he is doing on the X Factor. I hope it doesn't backfire on him by having three female judges. I think it is important to take it serious when choosing judges because in my opinion they are what controls the excitement of the show. The judges are role models. They are idols to the contestants and to the audience.

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    1. Hello Melody,

      I'm happy you enjoyed my blog post. Which show is your favorite?

      Yes. Even though they always claim the show's about the contestants, I think we all know the judges are the main influence of the show(s).
      The Nicki/Mariah feud was just awkward and it felt fabricated as the season progressed. As of "The X-Factor," it's still hard for to determine what the outcome of having three females will be.

      I hope we can keep having conversations in the future!

      Ricardo.

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