The rumor mill is once again flying over who will join the judging panel for American Idol season 13. Dr. Luke has been added to the mix while another rumored name is now out of the running, and find out which artists turned down offers to be a judge. Also in today’s Roundup, Kelly Clarkson has announced a Christmas album, and Mandisa has released a new song.
Watch Kelly Clarkson’s “Tie It Up” Music Video >>>
Dr. Luke In, Will.i.am Out — And Who Turned Down Idol?
In recent weeks, will.i.am’s name has been all over the headlines as being in talks to become a judge. But a deal never materialized — it looks as if he wanted more money, and we all know FOX has to scale back in the paycheck department now. (But Black Eyed Peas fans, have no fear, will.i.am will be returning as a coach on The Voice UK, according to The Hollywood Reporter.)
So who has replaced him in the latest batch of reports? Songwriter and record producer Dr. Luke, reports Us Weekly. He may not be household name, but he’s a big deal in the music industry, with such hits as Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,”, Flo Rida’s “Right Round,” “Kei$ha’s “Tik Tok” and many more that have soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
When American Idol first made its debut back in the summer of 2002, we had no idea who music executive Simon Cowell was at first. And in a way, there’s some similarities here: Dr. Luke, while a huge success in the industry, is relatively unknown to most people. It might be nice to have an industry insider on the panel again, someone who can give true insight into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to music. And because he’s not as famous as, say, a Jennifer Lopez or a Mariah Carey, maybe he’ll be more inclined to be honest with contestants instead of worrying about ruining his reputation and career.
Speaking of J-Lo, a source is telling Access Hollywood that an official announcement on her return to Idol will be made this week. This comes on the heels of her boyfriend, Casper Smart, letting slip to E! News with a simple “Yes” that she would indeed be returning.
So as of right now, it sounds like our season 13 judges will be Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Dr. Luke — if a deal can be reached with the record producer, that is. But who turned down offers to join the show before Dr. Luke was seriously considered? None other than Kanye West and Sean “Diddy” Combs. For the father of Kim Kardashian’s baby, a source told Us Weekly, “He didn’t want to go that mainstream. He didn’t want to lose any street cred. So he turned it down.” I think most people would say he lost any sort of cred long ago. And as for Diddy, he turned down an offer when he found out his ex Jennifer Lopez would be on the panel. He “felt it was a ‘her or me’ situation,'” an insider said, though a rep said that reason is “not true.”
[Video] Jennifer Hudson in New Winnie Mandela Trailer >>>
Kelly Clarkson Announces Christmas Album Wrapped in Red
The rumors have been out there for months now, but finally the season 1 winner has announced that she will be releasing a Christmas album this fall. It’s called Wrapped in Red, and is set to drop on October 29. She tweeted the big news, along with the cover art: “Check out the cover of my Christmas album! I can’t wait for y’all to hear it. … I have been dying to make this album since I was a kid!”
An official track list hasn’t been released yet, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, the album will include some original songs, including the title track “Wrapped in Red” and “Underneath the Tree,” which will reportedly be the single. Covers will include “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Blue Christmas,” “Run Run Rudolph” and “Please Come Home for Christmas.” And Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood and Ronnie Dunn will all collaborate with Kelly on some of the songs.
Keith Urban Returning to American Idol >>>
Mandisa Releases New Song “Press On”
Season 5 finalist Mandisa will release her new album Overcomer on August 27, and ahead of that date, she has a new song out called “Press On,” which you can listen to below, courtesy of USA Today:
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Mandisa calls the song “my running song. It talks about forgetting what’s behind but pressing on towards the mark to win the prize which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. For somebody who does not like running, having the message of ‘Just put one foot in front of the other, no looking back,’ is something I can relate easily to running.”
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(Image courtesy of WENN)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
