• 'Empire' and 'American Idol' Cross-Promotion? Can Terrence Howard and Co. Save Fox's Flagship Vocal Competition?

    It's no secret that ratings are down over at American Idol. The folks at Fox realize this as well, and they ask realize they've got another music-centric show that's red hot: the hip-hop drama Empire. Promoters are considering a cross-promotional effort that would feature current competitors on Idol making guest appearances on the drama, which airs immediately following it on Wednesday night.
  • 'American Idol' Team Talks New Format, Last Year's Low Ratings at Television Critics Association Press Event

    "American Idol" is essentially trimming the fat during Season 14 in order to combat low ratings. The crew held a panel for the Television Critics Association press tour yesterday, Jan. 17, and talked about the singing competition's new format for performance rounds. In the coming weeks, "Idol" will condense performances and voting to one night a week in order to shake things up, "The Hollywood Reporter" notes."We're pleased to be down to one show a week," executive producer Trish Kinane said. "We have all the drama of an elimination and all the performances. I think it's going to be jam-packed. There's a lot to do in that one show."Traditionally, "Idol" held one night of performances and one night of results. The show's airtime is down from 55 hours last year to 41. That means less excruciatingly drawn-out cliffhangers and more focus on the singing action.
  • 'American Idol' Season 14 Recap & Review: 5 Best Auditions from Jennifer Lopez's Hometown and Adam Lambert's Return

    The gang headed to Jennifer Lopez's native New York City for the fourth auditions episode of American Idol Season 14. Jenny from the Block ...As an added bonus, former runner-up and current Queen frontman Adam Lambert stopped by to fill in for Keith Urban, effectively putting the country star's bromance with Harry Connick Jr. on hiatus (Urban was thankfully on tour during the shooting).
  • Ranking The 2015 Academy Awards' Best Original Song Nominees: Rita Ora, Adam Levine, And More

    This morning, the nominees for the 87th Annual Academy Awards were revealed, including the nominees for Best Original Song. Though there were plenty of songs that were widely assumed to be shoo-ins, such as Lana Del Rey's "Big Eyes" and Lorde's "Yellow Flicker Beat," they were passed over for some pretty left-field choices (most surprisingly, only one of the songs on this list was also nominated for a Golden Globe). Here are the five Academy Award nominees for Best Original Song ranked, from worst to best.
  • 'American Idol' Season 14 Ratings Fall Short of 'Empire' Series Premiere for FOX

    American Idol ushered in its 14th season last night (Jan. 7) with a new format and one hour's worth of auditions in Keith Urban's hometown, Nashville. But, despite the show's long running pedigree, its ratings continued to slip, as the reality competition slipped below its following program (and fellow musical), Empire.
  • Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson Top 'American Idol' Highest Earners List for 2015

    There's no denying that American Idol has been able to make some major stars throughout its 13 seasons. From Carrie Underwood to Kelly Clarkson to Adam Lambert, the reality competition has been a major launching pad for the U.S. music scene in the last decade. And now, following the premiere of American Idol's 14th season, Forbes has released its annual list of the top-earning alums from the long-running program.
  • Jennifer Lopez Covers 'Self' Magazine: 45-Year-Old Shows Off Body and Talks Plans for 2015 [WATCH]

    Jennifer Lopez has a lot planned for 2015. She is working on new music, she has roles in movies and TV shows and "American Idol" is back for another season. The real news from J.Lo's recent "Self" magazine profile is that at 45 years old, she still has a fantastic figure. She revealed that her new partnership with BodyLab will be designed specifically for women and their diet/exercise needs.First thing's first. J.Lo will resume her judging duties on "American Idol" next year on Jan. 7. It is the show's 14th season and Lopez's fourth, although her appearances were not consecutive. Fans can also see the singer in a new NBC cop show titled "Shades of Blue."Lopez will star in the big-screen thriller "The Boy Next Door" alongside Kristen Chenoweth and Ryan Guzman. She will play a divorced woman who becomes infatuated with a new, young neighbor who has a dark secret. The movie premieres Jan. 23.