American Idol is a pop singing competition. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Being a pop competition, the first three seasons of Idol featured, almost exclusively, singers firmly entrenched in the pop genre. With season 4, this changed as two older, long-haired rock singers paved the way for the non-bubble gum crowd.
Bo Bice and
Constantine Maroulis, no matter one you may think of them, were the first of their kind on American Idol, paving the way for (depending upon your definition of “success”) the most successful male singer in the show's history in
Chris Daughtry. Season 4 also was a major season of change by Idol. One of the things I respect most about Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe and crew is their inclination to not just rest on their laurels and be content with the show they're producing. After a few years, things get stagnant, and the Idol brass realized this and made some fairly major changes going into season four, including raising the age limit, bringing in celebrity judges and significantly altering the format.
Oh, and it was also the season of current country superstar
Carrie Underwood, if that does anything for you.
Format:
Prior to season four, the top 30 or 32 singers were split into random groups and competed in heats (plus one wild card round) which eventually whittled the competition down to a top 12. With season four, Idol decided to bring only a top 24 out of the Hollywood rounds and split them evenly into a group of twelve guys and a group of twelve girls. From there, Idol aired three episodes a week (men perform, women perform ,results show) until there was a final 12. Also, the auditions saw the three judges joined by a rotating crop of celebrity judges, including Mark McGrath, LL Cool J, Brandy and Gene Simmons.
Top 12 Finalists:
#12 -
Lindsey Cardinale
#11 -
Mikalah Gordon
#10 -
Jessica Sierra
#9 -
Nikko Smith
#8 -
Nadia Turner
#7 -
Anwar Robinson
#6 - Constantine Maroulis
#5 -
Scott Savol
#4 - Anthony Federov
#3 -
Vonzell Solomon
#2 - Bo Bice
#1 – Carrie Underwood
Notable Season 4 Alumni:
Anthony Federov
Federov was a Ukrainian born teenager when he competed on American Idol, consistently wowing everyone with his great singing voice. The fourth place finisher, Federov received a tracheotomy on his windpipe at a young age, and it was uncertain whether he would talk again. The scar is still visible on his neck. There were rumblings following his elimination that he and eventual winner Carrie Underwood were romantically involved, though that was denied by all parties. The two are still friends.
Jessica Sierra
Though nothing about her singing turned out to be all that special, Sierra's is now somewhat famous for her brushes with the law. She's gotten in trouble for assault and battery, possession of cocaine, resisting arrest, public intoxication...the rap sheet is long. Vivid Entertainment recently announced that they would soon be releasing a sex tape involving Sierra. Also, it was discovered while Sierra was in jail that she is currently pregnant, with the father rumored to be a rapper.
Bo Bice
Bice, a country rocker, has achieved mild success since leaving Idol. His first album, "The Real Thing", debuted at number four on the Billboard charts. His recent second album didn't fare as well, though its content was more in tune with the kind of music he wants to play (country rock) as opposed to his first pop-twinged album.
Carrie Underwood
It could be argued that, over the past two years, Carrie Underwood has replaced
Kelly Clarkson as the biggest American Idol success story. Underwood is currently modern country royalty, with two hugely successful albums in a row. Her first album garnered four Grammy nominations, with Underwood taking two of the awards home. That first album, “Some Hearts”, has gone down in history as the fast selling debut album for any country singer ever. Her second album “Carnival Ride” has become a major hit as well, powered by hit singles “So Small” and “Before He Cheats”.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)