Fox's 'Idol' To See Big Changes In New Season

It has been widely reported that Fox's 'American Idol' will be revamped for its upcoming season. The Hollywood Reporter has now published a list of the changes.

Highlights of the list include:

FASTER ELIMINATION The elimination process is speeding up considerably; viewers at home will still shape the semifinals, but the Top 24 may go directly to 12 contestants -- or 15, as producers are still mulling over a final number.

ORIGINAL SONGS Producer-songwriters handpicked by Universal Music Group’s Interscope Geffen A&M Records Jimmy Iovine will mentor the contestants. Rodney Jerkins (Janet Jackson, Britney Spears), Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Pussycat Dolls), Timbaland (Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado) and Alex Da Kid (Rihanna, Eminem) will help them with song selection, then arrange and produce the musical accompaniment — a prerecorded track augmented by a live band — specifically for each contestant. And for the first time ever, the contest won't be limited solely to cover songs.

POSSIBLE MUSIC VIDEOS While there has been serious talk of music videos to test the contestants' acting skills, and how they incorporate backup dancers and even their ability to replicate iconic video images from the past, no final decision has been made and one Fox insider says it could be off the table -- for now. (More than ever before, Idol is in flux.) "With music breaking on the Internet, the visual aspect of any pop star is huge,” Alex Da Kid says. “We want to make [the process] as real as possible.” 

FASTER MUSIC RELEASES Instead of taking the summer months to work in the studio and releasing an album in the fall, finalists will have music out as the season progresses. "The sands of time are slipping through the hour glass and you want to capitalize while the public is so engaged in the story of winning or losing,” says Ron Fair, chairman of Geffen Records. “Normally with a new artist, the world isn’t waiting. In American Idol’s case, the public is -- they want to hear something great. With a big tail wind like that, you want to set sail.”

To read the entire list on The Hollywood Reporter, click here.

According to an earlier report in the Hollywood Reporter, Fox's American Idol is aiming for "transparency" in season ten, meaning 'producers are looking to add behind-the-scenes elements and find ways to have the singers interact with fans.' 

Contestants for the show will live together in a house, as they have done in seasons past, but this year they will be able to communicate with their fans via social media. Last year, all contestants were required to chat through an Idol twitter account.

To read the full article, visit: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/idol-changes-season-10-57248?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A 

Television's No. 1 series, AMERICAN IDOL, moves to Wednesdays and Thursdays this season beginning with a two-night premiere event Wednesday, Jan. 19 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, Jan. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).

AMERICAN IDOL welcomes new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, who join judge Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest, and an all-new crop of hopefuls from auditions held in Austin, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco and East Rutherford, NJ.

As previously reported, the program will chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records Jimmy Iovine as an in-house mentor.

The finalists in the competition will also face several new challenges. Contestants will be asked to create a music video and work with a full band and dancers to deliver an awards show-style performance, according to TVGuide.com.

"American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe also told TVGuide.com that the program will no longer have a phase where the contestants pool shrinks from 24 to 12. Instead, the competition will begin with the top 12.

Among the many American Idol finalists and winners to appeared on the Broadway stage are Fantasia, Justin Guarini, Jordin Sparks, Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, Tamyra Gray, Constantine Maroulis, Frenchie Davis, Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks.

For more information on "American Idol," visit www.americanidol.com.

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