American Idol

As you may have heard, American Idol is back. This year there are a few things different about America's favorite reality show. First, there is a fourth judge. (I guess Simon's mean comments and Paula's crazy antics weren't enough to get ratings.) Next, they are adding more music to the auditioning process. Yesterday we enjoyed some Journey "Don't Stop Believin'." (If you didn't know, judge Randy Jackson played with Journey in the 80s.) Tonight we have enjoyed some R.E.M and Joshua Radin (who I featured in the artist spotlight last week.)

American Idol is usually a place for pop music and nothing else. It is refreshing to see them featuring new and different sounds. Hopefully, this trend will continue on past the audition process. Maybe we will see some indie music played during the top 12 performances. American Idol was the place that featured "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter as their farewell song. This launched Powter onto the pop music charts. Perhaps American Idol has recognized its power within the music industry and will feature more indie music. Or better yet, maybe America will vote an indie artist as this year's American Idol.