Anyone who tunes into American Idol regularly knows that this season sometimes feels like The Nicki Minaj Show. Among the new blood that's been injected into the judges panel this season, Minaj is hands down the most polarizing. Keith Urban is the surprisingly astute critic, Mariah Carey is the softie who finds something positive to say about even the most dismal performances, and Nicki is ... well, Nicki. She's unprofessional (showing up late to a job that requires about five hours of her time every week), overdramatic (threatening to walk off the show after Curtis Finch, Jr. was eliminated last week), and often inappropriate in her comments to the singers (too many examples to pick just one).
She also may be the best thing that's happened to the contestants in years.
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The countdown begins! The Top 10 American Idol hopefuls performed Wednesday night in the first live show of Season 12. The evening opened with host Ryan Seacrest introducing the four judges — nope, make that three, as Nicki Minaj was "about seven minutes out" due to traffic. (Really?!?!)
The theme of the night was to pay tribute to the show's "legacy," in the words of Seacrest, with each contestant tackling a song that had been covered on the show by a former winner. (Interestingly, out of the previous 11 seasons, only six winners' songs were chosen.) Here's a breakdown of each performance:
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With little fanfare, American Idol got right down to business on Thursday night, when the 10 finalists of Season 12 were revealed.
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Randy Jackson said Tuesday that this season is a "girls' year" on American Idol — but not if the Top 10 guys have anything to say about it. Taking the stage for their performances on Wednesday's show, the male semifinalists showed that they, too, are a force to be reckoned with. While the guys' group lacks standouts like Kree Harrison and Candice Glover from the girls, most of the male singers are delivering solid B-worthy performances and can hold their own.
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"It's the girls' season to lose," American Idol judge Randy Jackson told host Ryan Seacrest before the Top 10 ladies took the stage Tuesday night. Did they prove him right or wrong?
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