American Idol

In the weeks leading up to American Idol Season 10, fans and skeptics alike have been gabbing non-stop about the rumored overhaul of the show. Some of these changes are well substantiated — like the introduction of new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, as well as the addition of a new musical director Ray Chew. Others —  like the possibility of contestants creating music videos and the use of online voting — are less certain.

Everyone seems to be wondering: Will the show remain the Idol we all know and love? Will the shake-ups disenchant that special Idol magic? Will Randy still say “Yo, Dawg!” 50 times an episode?

Well, we’re only a few weeks away from the January 18 premiere, and it’s officially time to separate rumor from fact. Here’s your list of American Idol Season 10 shake-ups, as reported by Entertainment Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter. Keep calm, Idol fans! Take a deep breath, and read on:

The Set: The American Idol set has been given a much needed facelift. This only makes sense as a new musical director, Ray Chew, has been hired to whip the band into tip-top shape. And we can’t expect them to play their best if they’re not looking their best, right? Also FYI: Should the renovation have effected more than 40% change to the overall appearance of the set, designers will be eligible for an Emmy. Good to know!

Streamlined Elimination: The word on this change is that at-home voters will still have their say in the semifinal round. Except this season, instead of a top 24, contestants will be narrowed down to a much more exclusive top 15 or 12... or (gasp!) even 10. Yowza, the pressure is definitely on for this batch of Idol-ers. But remember, what’s stressful for them makes for good television for us!

Online Voting: Reports on this change have varied. Some say the voting will happen same as always, others are giving accounts of a new system giving the opportunity to vote with the simple click of a mouse. The text and phone option will, of course, still be available either way. But the question remains about whether the added convenience of interwebs access will be added. Guess we’ll just have to tune in and see!

Live-in Space: Yep, semifinalists will live together as one big, happy family. And since 15-year-old contestants will be allowed this season, that may make for some Idol-ers coming with parents included. (Awkward!) As we’ve reported before, the introduction of this more typical “reality TV’ aspect of the new Idol has ruffled some feathers, but whatever. The more dramz the better!

Original Songs: In perhaps the biggest change to the actual experience of contestants, Idol’s wide-eyed music industry newbies will be mentored by a whole new slew of super-producers picked by record company guru Jimmy Iovine. Producers on hand to help the contestants include Rodney Jerkins (Janet Jackson, Britney Spears), Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Pussycat Dolls), Timbaland (Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado), and Alex Da Kid (Rihanna, Eminem). Oh, and one other thing: There’s a possibility — and please note that word “possibility,” as this is one of those up-in-the-air rumors — that for the first time ever, contestants will have the option to perform their own songs.

Record Label: And speaking of record producers, albums by the top contestants in Idol Season 1 through 9 were released by Sony Music Group, but this year a deal was made so Idol artists will be produced under the Universal Music Group’s Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records. This may not seem like much to us music industry laymen, but you can be sure it will to the musicians themselves, as the list of stars affiliated with UMG is positively lousy with pop stars. Here’s hoping season 10 will add a few more!

Theme Week: Season 10 contestants will have an easier time during Theme Week than those of seasons past. Song selections will be tailored more to the individual performer than to the week’s theme. In other words, a country singer won’t be forced to sing a Boyz 2 Men song, and an R&B crooner won’t be stuck muddling their way through a Shania Twain song. Wow. Can we just say on behalf of the entire Idol-loving world, thank you producers!

Possible Music Videos: Yet again, this is one of those iffy subjects that yield varying reports, depending on which source you read. Again, key word here is “possibility,” but performers this season may have the “possibility” to be judged on their abilities to craft music video performances, as well as belt out vocally challenging tunes. Reflecting the increasingly visual aspect of the modern pop star, Idol producers may have incorporated this change to keep Idol contestants competitive in the music industry. We’re happy either way this one turns out. We say, if it makes another Idol star, we’re all for it. But as far as we’re concerned, American Idol is really just one big music video already!

Faster Post-show Music Releases: In the past, record deals coming out of the Idol pop star machine took at least the summer months post-finale to create a stellar debut record for the top contenders. Not so anymore, say the bigwigs at UMG. The current game plan is strike while the iron is hot and get those songs out as soon after the show wraps as possible.

So there you have it. Just a few minor changes, right? The important part is that the American Idol formula that has worked like clockwork for 9 season thus far—that is, unknown talent getting a big break in front of an American TV audience—has been totally untampered with. So come on, y’all. Lets hear it for the new and improved American Idol!

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly