TheAmerican Idolseason 23 Top 24 finalists have some reality singing competition show alums among them, and their participation is ruining the essence of the show.American Idoldebuted in 2002, and its goal was to find the best undiscovered talent in the country. The show gave singers the opportunity to showcase their talents in a way that many of them wouldn’t have had access to before. When it premiered, it was unique, but, since then, shows such asThe Voice,The X Factor, and many others have also given undiscovered music artists a platform.
SinceAmerican Idolwas revived by ABCin 2018 after its 2016 cancelation by FOX, several contestants have been alums of other reality singing competition shows. In season 21 alone, five of the Top 26 finalists wereThe Voicealums, including Malik Heard, Marybeth Byrd, Michael Williams, runner-up Megan Danielle, and Wé Ani, who placed third onThe Voiceseason 11. Although all of theseAmerican Idolcontestants were very talented and entertaining to watch, the fact that they’d already competed in another reality singing competition show shattered the illusion that they had been plucked from obscurity.Here’s whyAmerican Idolshould stop casting alums from other singing competition series.
Which American Idol Season 23 Top 24 Contestants Have Competed On Other Shows?
Several American Idol Top 24 Contestants Have Previous Experience
Five of theAmerican IdolTop 24 contestantshave previously competed on other reality singing competition series. Two of them are alums ofThe Voice.Thunderstorm Artis place third onThe Voiceseason 18with Team Nick Jonas. However, he never had the chance to perform in a live show due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. In addition,Victor Solomon placed fifth onThe Voiceseason 20with Team John Legend.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
In 2011,Drew Ryn placed sixth onThe X Factor USAseason 1when she was 14 years old, whileChé Chesterman placed third onThe X Factor UKseason 12when he was 18 years old. In addition,MKY competed onBoy Bandseason 1 in 2017. In 2022,Olivier Bergeron, who’s French Canadian, competed in the Canadian singing competitionStar Académie, making it to the semi-finals. Also, in 2021,Jamal Roberts made it to the Top 3 in BET’sSunday Bestseason 10, a singing competition series that searched for the best undiscovered gospel singers.
Reality Singing Competition Alums Have Too Much Experience For American Idol
They’re More Comfortable On Stage & In Front Of The Cameras
Although manyAmerican Idolcontestants since season 1have had previous experience performing on stage in local places or in shows,most of them haven’t sung on stages at the level of the show, and certainly haven’t appeared on TV. In fact, when Abi Bowen auditioned for season 23, she had no prior performing experience. She was so nervous that she wore sunglasses and faced away from judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. How could she ever compete with someone like Thunderstorm who placed third in a previous singing competition TV series?
American Idolcontestants with no previous experience not only have to learn how to be comfortable on stage, but also in front of TV cameras. There’s a whole new world for them to get used to. If someone on the season has already experienced that through another reality TV show, then they don’t have that obstacle to their performances. In addition, they’ve already sung in front of celebrity judges, so they might not get as starstruck when meeting them for the first time.Performing on TV can be intimidating and overwhelming, and there’s definitely an advantage for contestants who’ve done it before.
During theAmerican Idolseason 23Head-To-Head round, Thunderstorm and Drew teamed up to sing a spectacular version of “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron ft. Phoebe Bridgers. They were so polished and professional, and they were a joy to watch. However,they also had a strong advantage because they’d performed before on other TV shows. While it’s going to be fantastic to watch their phenomenal performances throughout the season, they’ll always have an edge over the contestants with no prior TV experience.
Reality Singing Competition Alums Have An Unfair American Idol Voting Advantage
They Come With A Pre-Established Fan Base
Another problem withAmerican Idolcontestants who’ve competed on other shows is thatthey come with pre-established fan bases that give them unfair advantages. A lot of fans have criticized the show for putting Baylee Littrell in the Top 24 because he’s Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell’s son, and they believe that he might dominate the vote because of it.
However, not enough people are talking about the fact that Thunderstorm and Victor once had a large enough fan base to place third and fifth onThe Voice, respectively.Surely those fans have followed their careers and now could influence theAmerican Idolvote as well.People don’t even have to watchAmerican Idolin order to vote because the voting numbers are posted on social media. Having a pre-established fan base definitely gives previous reality TV competitors an edge over the rest of the competition.
8 Moments From The American Idol Post-Oscars Sneak Peek That Prove Carrie Underwood Is The Perfect Judge (You Shouldn’t Boycott The Show)
During the American Idol post-Oscars sneak peek episode, Carrie Underwood proved herself to be the perfect judge for the singing competition series.
On the other hand, theAmerican Idolcontestants with previous singing competition TV show experience could end up with unfair expectations for them from their fans,which could end up backfiring on them if they don’t live up to them. It’s much better when previously unknown singers make their debut onAmerican Idoland build their fan bases from their auditions onward.
American Idol Is Supposed To Be About Undiscovered Talent
It’s always more satisfying to watch someone with raw talent compete onAmerican Idoland transform from a person with a great voice to a superstar. This was especially true in season 20, when Noah Thompson, a construction worker from Louisa, Kentucky, auditioned with no previous performing experience. Watching him grow throughout the competition was inspiring. He truly embodied whatAmerican Idolis all about: finding an undiscovered talent in a small town and helping him reach his full potential. When Noah won, hisAmerican Idoljourney was complete.
Carrie was another exampleof someone who came from a very small town and became a global superstar. Carrie hails from Checotah, Oklahoma, which she described as a single-stoplight town in her song, “I Ain’t In Checotah Anymore.” One of the reasons that her story was so inspiring was because she achieved her dream of making it big despite coming from a small town.Her journey wouldn’t have had as much of an impact if she’d placed in the Top 10 of a different reality competition series just a few years before.
The worst part aboutAmerican Idolcasting reality singing competition series alums is thatthey never mention it on the show. While this is most likely because the series are on different networks, it feels as though the show is lying to its viewers as they watch these incredibly gifted singers perform. Fans who don’t know about the previous TV show appearances will think that this is the first time that these contestants are performing on TV, and that’s simply not true.American Idolis supposed to be about undiscovered talent, and the fact that the show doesn’t disclose the contestants' past performance histories seems dishonest.
American Idolshould stop casting finalists from other singing competition showsbecause it’s ruining the heart of what the show once was. Alums from other shows come with experience and fan bases that give them an unfair advantage in the competition. However,the contestants themselves don’t deserve any backlash. Rather, the show itself must be retooled to make it more fair for everyone.American Idolshould only cast fresh faces from now on.
American Idolairs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
American Idol
Cast
American Idol is a reality singing competition that adds to the international “Idol” brand, conceived initially in the U.K. as Pop Idol. Holding massive auditions across the U.S., American Idol invited several contestants to perform in front of a panel of judges that would determine whether or not they’d go on to future rounds for a chance at competing in the fully televised premiere of the show. Contestants are voted off each week by American participation via voting through various mediums, and the winner of the competition would be given a contract with a record label to secure a future as America’s next musical idol.
