American Idol Is Ruining The Essence Of The Show By Casting Finalists From Other Singing Competitions (Too Many Season 23 Contestants Have Competed Before)
The American Idol season 23 Top 24 finalists have some reality singing competition show alums among them, and their participation is ruining the essence of the show. American Idol debuted 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 as The Voice, The X Factor, and many others have also given undiscovered music artists a platform.
Since American Idol was revived by ABC in 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 were The Voice alums, including Malik Heard, Marybeth Byrd, Michael Williams, runner-up Megan Danielle, and Wé Ani, who placed third on The Voice season 11. Although all of these American Idol contestants 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 why American Idol should stop casting alums from other singing competition series.
Which American Idol Season 23 Top 24 Contestants Have Competed On Other Shows?
Five American Idol Top 24 Contestants Have Previous Experience
Five of the American Idol Top 24 contestants have previously competed on other reality singing competition series. Two of them are alums of The Voice. Thunderstorm Artis place third on The Voice season 18 with 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 on The Voice season 20 with Team John Legend.
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In 2011, Drew Ryn placed sixth on The X Factor USA season 1 when she was 14 years old, while MKY competed on Boy Band season 1 in 2017. In 2022, Olivier Bergeron, who’s French Canadian, competed in the Canadian singing competition Star Académie, making it to the semi-finals.
Reality Singing Competition Alums Have Too Much Experience For American Idol
They’re More Comfortable On Stage & In Front Of The Cameras
Although many American Idol contestants since season 1 have 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 Idol contestants 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 the American Idol season 23 Head-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 with American Idol contestants who’ve competed on other shows is that they 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 on The Voice, respectively. Surely those fans have followed their careers and now could influence the American Idol vote as well. People don’t even have to watch American Idol in 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.
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On the other hand, the American Idol contestants 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 on American Idol and build their fan bases from their auditions onward.
American Idol Is Supposed To Be About Undiscovered Talent
Reality Singing Competition Alums Have Already Had A Moment In The Spotlight
It’s always more satisfying to watch someone with raw talent compete on American Idol and 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 what American Idol is all about: finding an undiscovered talent in a small town and helping him reach his full potential. When Noah won, his American Idol journey was complete.
Carrie was another example of 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 about American Idol casting reality singing competition series alums is that they 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 Idol is supposed to be about undiscovered talent, and the fact that the show doesn’t disclose the contestants’ past performance histories seems dishonest.
American Idol should stop casting finalists from other singing competition shows because 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 Idol should only cast fresh faces from now on.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Sources: American Idol/YouTube, American Idol/YouTube, American Idol/YouTube, American Idol/YouTube
