I've admitted it many times...I am a huge fan of voice competition shows. The big two are "American Idol" and "The Voice." "X Factor" premiered last year, but didn't have the ratings like AI and The Voice.
AI is the grand daddy of all the voice competition shows celebrating its 11th season this year. It has three very prominant judges with Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, J-Lo, and Randy Jackson. The chemistry is good between the three judges who are now in their second year together. 2 years ago, Idol had been rock solid with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy anchoring the show for many years. But then they shook things up. Idol is a great show. It's all about the competition. No gimmicks, no rotating chairs. Just great singers.
The Voice is the upstart of the group. It has 4 judges...Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera, R&B master Cee Lo Green, and country star Blake Shelton. The judges pick the 12 members of their teams BLINDLY. They sit in four chairs facing away from the performers and only hear the voices of the contestants. It's a very interesting concept and a lot of fun to watch the judges as they hit a button to turn their chair around when they hear a singer they like. The judges on The Voice have a lot of fun. It's definitely a lot less "proper" than AI. There's a certain antagonistic tension between Adam and Christina on the show. They love to poke and make fun of each other and sometimes it can be very entertaining. Adam and Christina are really the stars of the show. Add the country humor of Blake Shelton and the coolness of Cee Lo and you have a pretty interesting and entertaining show.
Ultimately, it's the public who votes on both shows, deciding who stays and who goes home. That's why these show are so much fun...because WE decide. So which one does it for you...AI or The Voice? I like them both. Each offers a different way that singers compete against each other, and both shows are fun to watch.
We're getting into the "Battle Rounds" on The Voice, where coaches match their singers against each other and then they go on to pick 6 contestants out of their 12 who will get to advance and compete for the public's vote in the "Live Rounds."
On AI, this week the field will be trimmed to the 12 finalists. One of these will go on to be the American Idol with the public eliminating one singer each week along the way.
Whether you like The Voice or American Idol, or both, like me, it's great tv. The producers on both shows do a great job with background stories on all of the singers. This allows the viewer to have an emotional connection with their favorite singers. And once you get hooked on an emotional level, you'll want to tune in every week to follow your favorites. These producers are not stupid people. They're actually "brilliant", as Simon Cowell might say.
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