The exciting world of TV singing tilts

The competition among singing contests on television just got hotter. X Factor USA has come to town. The reality show is now carried on cable live via satellite from the USA by the newly-available RTL CBS Entertainment channel. As expected, it is now providing very strong competition for The Voice, which is on AXN.

Now, American Idol (AI) on Star World, the granddaddy of contemporary talent contests, which used to be the favorite among local viewers, is currently in the doldrums. These past few years have seen not only diminishing viewership, but also winners that were not up to the standards set by early Idols like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Maybe this is also because the show has already been on the air for 13 years and has become quite predictable. 

Admittedly, this year’s edition, Season 12, was its worst ever. There was no rapport at all among the judges, Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban. Randy tried hard and Keith was really nice but Mariah and Nicki seemed like a hair’s breath away from actual hair pulling. Not only that, the contestants were as lackluster as custard pie that has spent a day in the freezer. Come to think of it, have you heard anything about what has happened to the latest winner Candice Glover?

It was no wonder then that Filipinos were instantly enchanted by The Voice. While AI has judges doing critiques of the contestants, The Voice has mentors who coach the contestants to better prepare them for the competition. The singers do not only compete with one another. The mentors also compete in that they also work so that one of their charges would win the contest. And what mentors they are! Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Blake Shelton in Season 1 and Season 3 while Adam, Blake with Shakira and Usher held down Season 2.

These mentors are not only empathetic with their singers, it also looks like they are having lots of fun. Their easy camaraderie, their jokes, their serious moments and their fantastic singing make The Voice a winner. I see them now as members of the regular cast of an enjoyable sitcom that you look forward to watching week after week because they are fun. Of course, the contest is the main show and that is what viewers are supposed to look forward to but The Voice is so well-done that even just waiting for which chair will turn can already be suspenseful.

 Now X-Factor USA has judges who, given the way they get involved with the contestants, can also be considered mentors. This season, these are Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, Disney princess Demi Lovato, Latin music diva Paulina Rubio and Simon Cowell who was an original AI Judge.

Unlike The Voice which is open to all acts of whatever age or type, X-Factor is divided into four categories, groups, boys, girls and the over 25s. The chosen finalists do battle to stay alive up to the end, where the last act standing is named winner. 

Now Simon, who is in charge of the groups, maybe the acerbic sort but he is the one I like to watch. He has his own sort of charisma and he certainly knows what he is talking about. If you are interested in knowing what makes for a show-stopping performance, then Simon’s opinion is the one that counts. Kelly gets the over-25 singers. She always knows what she wants and speaks with authority. Demi, who has the girls and Paulina, who takes care of the boys, can be indecisive at times. But they do pull some surprises and are never off-footing. Besides, I have yet to meet somebody who will object to the sight of those pretty faces on the screen.

Speaking of pretty faces, the next season of American Idol will once more have the prettiest of them all on the judge’s bench. Jennifer Lopez will be back. So will country music heartthrob Keith Urban. And for the third judge and new addition, there will be Harry Connick Jr., the crooner and all-around musician with movie-star looks. Judge Randy Jackson, who gives the show a semblance of stability, is taking over Jimmy Iovine’s role as coach for the finalists. Individually, there is no question that any of these judges can hold down a show. But will they have the chemistry that the show needs to stand up against The Voice or X Factor? We will soon find out.

 In the long run though, the most important element in the success of these shows are the contestants. Televiewers have to like these aspiring stars enough for them to spend time and money on votes to make them win. The star judges or mentors, the eye-popping sets, the music, etc. will initially pull in the viewers. But if these shows fail to produce likeable star winners, then they can look forward to diminishing audience shares and maybe, also the end.