American Idol – It’s a season premiere setup

Sure, I’m wrong. I’m wrong often about things.

But not now. Nope. Not this time.

American Idol has still got it. It’s still got the steak and it’s still got the sizzle.

It’s always an event when Idol launches a new season. This time wasn’t any different, regardless of the fact a lot of folks thought it needed to be in order to keep pace with the competition. The Voice … The X Factor … more. The cool thing, however, is that Idol did nothing — nothing whatsoever — to alter anything. At least it didn’t where the premiere was concerned. Why should it have to? It’s the leader of the pack. In all honesty there’s not a damned thing it needs to do in order to remain at the top spot. All the other competitions are huffing and puffing in its wake, seeing if they can even stay afloat let alone keep up.

Truth be told, there wasn’t anything really special about the launch of the 11th season of Fox’s 800-pound gorilla. The only thing I noticed hinting at a difference was the fact the judges seem as if they might be more critical. But it’s early yet … that’s to be determined.

But there was one thing that stood out … and it came at the very last with the introduction of Phillip Phillips, the final contestant of the day at the Savannah auditions.

And it got under my skin for a few moments.

There was the usual build up leading to contestant Philip Phillips taking the floor for his audition. My anticipation was in the palatable excitement I felt knowing this rather hicky sort of whitebread was going to belt out Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” a favorite of mine from Little Stevie’s classic Talking Book of 1972.

And then? As his audition progressed? My excitement quickly degenerated into disappointment at his performance. Terrible audition. Not strong in the least; it was dull and flat and anything but dynamic, more “just there” than anything else.

Then he picked up his guitar and did something unexpected: He didn’t save himself by performing another tune, but he did put himself out there as someone with versatility, someone with the ability to turn on a dime and do something you weren’t looking for. Thinking about it? Maybe he’s not so versatile after all. But what he definitely is is someone who is able to put himself in a light hinting he might at least be able to do that. And so, in the end? I dug him. Because not only does the music come easy for him, but he’s another one of those performers you actually see with rhythm flowing through him. That’s my first impression.

The haters, however, might exclaim: “That was totally a set up! How can you fall for something like that … ?!?” To which I respond: “Of course it was! Of course it was a set up! I didn’t have any doubt of that fact.” But here’s the thing: He was good to begin with … else, there wouldn’t have been the set up in the first place. Don’t those naysayers see that?

And so here we go again … with another start to another season of Idol, certain to be filled with surprises unexpected and calculated.

I may be wrong often, but I won’t be wrong about that.

Clacked by Michael Noble
on Jan 19, 2012 @ 08:00 EST5EDT