Nigel Lythgoe Discusses Idol 2012 Plans

American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is back again for the 2012 season and he hopes you enjoyed last season because you’re about to get a whole lot more of it.

When asked for ideas on what would be different for the Idol 2012 season Lythgoe explained not to expect any major changes. Sounds like they’ve find their groove and their going to stick to letting hopefuls do their own thing each week:

“I think we made a lot of tweaks last year,” Lythgoe said. “I’m not sure that we want to make too many more tweaks this year.”

“The biggest change we made last year was to say, `OK, if you’re a country singer you can sing any of these genres in your country style,'” Lythgoe said. “`We’re not going to force you to do rock or anything you can’t do. You can take a Michael Jackson song and turn it country.'”

After all the talk last preseason about not doing themes, we still saw theme after theme and singers trying new niches. I guess it just sounds good to repeat yourself even if it doesn’t mean anything.

Nigel goes on to credit season 10’s freestyle approach to allowing singers like Haley, Casey, Scotty, and Lauren get so far in the competition, an achievement he says might not have happened without those changes.

Are you ready for the January 22nd premiere of American Idol 2012?

Source: AP

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19 Comments

  1. after watching that disaster x factor, i’m more than ready for idol. hope the judges do a little bit better this season and that america votes according to TALENT and not “cuteness”. by the by, adam lambert, kelly clarkson, daughtry, and carrie underwood are all on the playlist in the casino at trump taj mahal in atlantic city. so cool to hear them when you’re playing!!

    • pr63…Same here in Vegas. I love hearing them in the casino I go to. I feel like I discovered them way back when they were on Idol…..LOL…..Me and a million others!!!!!!

      • phyllisg-which casino. haven’t been to vegas in a couple of years. air fare from ny is ridiculous and atlantic city and foxwoods are pretty close to long island.

      • pr63…..The South Point Casino on Las Vegas Blvd. This casino is only 5 years old. Full service casino and hotel. Really nice.
        Where on LI? I was from Valley Stream.

  2. Well I don’t care if they change how the show goes in how things are set up and ran week to week. One change that needs to take place is the voting system. They need to limit the number of votes people can make to avoid having situations where an excellent singer like Pia gets voted off before she should have been. But then again they love saying that they got 70 million votes.

    • I agree that the voting system needs to change. Otherwise we will never see another female winner. I disagree about Pia, however. Past non winners have gone on to success [Kellie Pickler, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Daughtry etc.], but I doubt Pia’s career is going much of anywhere. Too many people actively dislike her.

    • agree. the voting system is absurd and is based on a popularity contest, not a singing contest. look at the bodies who got voted off who should not have…adam lambert, chris daughtry, pia toscano. how do you justify a lee dewyze or taylor hicks? in then end, though, the talent still comes shining through. just ask adam and chris

      • Not even a popularity contest. If it were truly a case of majority rules, I could accept that. It isn’t. It’s a case of tweens and teens maniacally texting for a cute boy. Absurd.

  3. I agree with the comments on the voting system…I hope they change it..Other then that…all is well..

  4. I agree that the voting system needs to be fixed….all the tweens are covering all the phone signals..landline, cell phones, it is so hard to even get through…most adults give up and so you have only the tween votes for cute boys.

  5. All the above are so true. I love AI and I can’t wait for the season to start but the voting system is so arcadic. Your country singers will always win out over a pop or rock singer. Its just the way it is and I can’t see it changing unless the producers get smart. Mostly people in the Midwest and South love their country music and thats where most of the votes come from…..I guess they don’t have much else to do….??????

    I do agree with pr63…The cream eventually rises to the top…..

    • Hi Phyllis. I agree with you up to a point. Midwesterners and southerners do like country music because it’s real, the lyrics are clear and understandable and they are not misogynistic. That’s a backlash against rap and hip-hop. The problem with other genres is that most rockers wouldn’t be caught dead watching Idol, much less voting for it. And pop is just so insipid right now and heavy into auto tune that the industry is selling a personality rather than a singer. One doesn’t need a voice, just a face, body and charisma. They can fake the rest of it.

      • Templar…..I guess the point really is that different people like different music. I’m from the North East originallty and country music was not an option. I was born & raised on rock & roll. Don’t get me wrong, I do like some Country music but not the likes of Scotty or Johnny Cash. I’m more into Carrie U., Lady A, Sugarland……Its all a matter of taste.

        AI should change the voting just to make it fair. So many votes per person, per phone, per email, per text. Whatever, just as long as one tween can’t stay on the phone, etc the whole two hours and vote….JMHO

      • I’m with you there. Thank goodness Adam has new music coming out. I’m all about Queen, Bon Jovi, Sprinsteen etc. But where are the up & comers in that type of music? Song writing is a big factor in good pop or rock music and there isn’t any next big name songwriter on the horizon that I can see. Compared to the Beatles, Billy Joel, Freddie Mercury, Desmond Child etc, today’s songwriters are no better than advertising jingle writers.

      • Templar…..I love Adam too but did you hear James Durbins new CD? I just love it. Its not heavy metal at all. It is really good and his vocals are really good. I hope this man makes it. Love me Bad is the bomb (as Randy would say). The more I listen to this CD the more I like it. I am also excited about Adam’s new CD coming out in the Spring.

  6. To consider how the new economy is finished is much like somebody inside london in 1830 saying the entire industrial revolution ends because some textile manufacturers in Manchester went broke.

  7. Too many people dislike Pia?! Are you kidding me?! I dare some Pia hater say that on a fan page of hers.

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