If Jennifer Lopez isn’t already a pop icon, she will be after Season 13 of “American Idol.”
In countless auditions, contestants tell her what a role model she is, then dissolve into tears and reach for hugs.
Harry Connick Jr., meanwhile, has to contend with folks who don’t even know who he is. “I’m Chris Isaak,” he tells one. When he finally gets his own J.Lo moment, it’s well-played.
The upshot? This year’s judging panel is going to do just fine. In the two-hour opener (which spotlights contestants in Boston and Austin), Lopez, Connick and holdover judge Keith Urban don’t bring any drama. They’re focused on finding the best talent and, occasionally, they get to rib each other.
A Mariah/Nicki-level smackdown? Forget it. This year’s show is built for comfort, not speed.
In addition to letting contestants accompany themselves on the guitar, the producers have introduced something called “The Chamber” (#TheChamber) which is basically a confessional where contestants can share their inner thoughts without everyone hearing them. The padded room has a wonky camera and, presumably, its own fan base.
Social media gets a bump, too, from several hashtags -- #This isReal, #Home and #Hollywood. The latter two are used to see if viewers can guess if someone is going home. Whether they’ll work is anyone’s guess but the judging trio is a solid yes.
Connick isn’t afraid to call someone out, thus earning the label “harsh Harry.” At one point he tells a girl she’s singing an age-inappropriate song. At another, he questions a boy’s tattoo. “That’s the dad in you,” Lopez says. But it is a glimpse of the Simon Cowell he could become.
Urban, meanwhile, plays it pretty cool (“It’s going to have to be a ‘no’ for me,” he says, frequently) and Lopez provides a nice curve to their right angles.
Tears? Oh, yeah. They’re here, too. In addition to the waterworks that arrive when fans get to meet Lopez, they fall when a teenager sings a song she wrote about her grandfather and a hopeful with ADHD says he waited eight years to audition because he didn’t think he was ready.
Talent? It’s evident but this year’s batch doesn’t look like it’s going to have a lot of unnecessary angst. The kids are good. The kids can sing. The kids are grateful.
Because the judges aren’t looking for Nicki Minaj-level attention, humor falls to Ryan Seacrest, who’s more than willing to provide. He plays football with one guy in the holding room and manages to fall over a bunch of chairs.
Even more telling? Connick offers up a music lesson and teaches Lopez something she didn’t know. When the next contestant arrives, Lopez puts the knowledge to work and comes away looking smarter than any of her predecessors ever did. Lesson learned? Oh, yeah.
While Grace Potter gets more covers than a boiling pot, the audition rounds don’t feature a lot of songs you’ll tire of quickly. The original numbers are interesting; the guitar-playing, less so.
If there’s a conclusion to reach from the first two hours, it’s this: “American Idol” is back on track, putting the emphasis where it belongs. The judges aren’t the story but they make the telling of it very fun, indeed.
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Critcls loving the new panel. J.Lo rescues Idol from the terrible judges from last year.
I'll miss Nicki and Mariah though!
