March 2009The eighth season of the incredibly successful series American Idol starts on M-Net Series from March 4 at 19:00 CAT. DStv audiences are invited to watch as new talent is unearthed and a new American Idol given the chance of a lifetime.
Since the shows’ inception in 2002 the music industry globally has seen a spike in record sales, new talent signings and reality television series. Considered a benchmark when it comes to reality TV, American Idol, unlike most shows, uses the public’s vote to determine the winner of the competition.
The show seeks to discover the best singer in the country through a series of auditions that are hosted throughout the U.S. The judges critique the contestants’ performances and the judging panel consists of music mogul Simon Cowell, legendary producer Randy Jackson, and pop icon Paula Abdul. Season 8 will also see the addition of a new judge, singer/songwriter Kara DioGuardi. At the heart of the show is host Ryan Seacrest the hardest working man in entertainment.
Since its debut American Idol has become one of America’s top rated shows. Season 1’s American Idol was Kelly Clarkson who is a pop rock singer, writer and actress. Since her debut on Idols Clarkson became an overnight success with her first three albums selling 9.5 million copies in the U.S and in 2008 she joined VH1’s list of sexiest women of the new millennium. She has also been named among the Top 30 Hottest Rock Front Women.
Using the opportunity to their advantage, it is not only winners that have made a name for themselves; American Idol has also made famous a lot of its other finalists. In season 3, Fantasia Barrino won but Jennifer Hudson, who was a top 10 finalist, has since stolen the spotlight. Hudson co-starred alongside Beyonce Knowles and Eddy Murphy in the runaway hit musical, Dreamgirls, and captured the hearts of audiences, taking Best Supporting Actress in the BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the coveted Oscar Awards in 2006. She released a multi-platinum selling album in 2008 and had a defining moment last month when she took home the Grammy Award for the Best R’n B Album.
Another alumnus that eclipsed the winner was popular rock musician Chris Daughtry in 2006. Showing the makings of an icon, the season 5 finalist went on to record an album which has since earned him a Grammy nomination. His fourth place finish in AMERICAN IDOL earned him a record deal with RCA Records. The record company realized how good an investment they made when the band’s self-titled album sold more than 1 million copies after 5 weeks of release, it went on to become the fastest selling rock album in history and in its ninth week of release, the album reached number one on the BillBoard Charts.
Other winners of the show that have impressed audiences world-wide include big hearted Ruben Studdard in season 2, country crooner Carrie Underwood in season 4, hit sensation Taylor Hicks in season 5 and R’ n B songstress Jordin Sparks in season 6. Spark’s self titled album was certified platinum in 2008, bringing her on par with her predecessors Clarkson and Underwood in terms of success.The winner of season 7, David Cook was announced on May 21 2008. He won the title with a record breaking 56% of the 97.5 million voters. Known for his rock-oriented cover versions which he arranged himself, Cook became the first rocker to win the show.
DStv audiences are invited to tune in as the dreams of hopefuls stand a chance of being fulfilled as M-Net Series screens American Idol from March 4 at 19:00 CAT.
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