American Idol fans are gearing up for the debut of season seven in a few short weeks. The two-night season premiere will be on January 15 & 16, 2008 on Fox. Sneak-peek photos from the americanidol.com website have been streaming in; this season promises to be one of the most exciting yet. Auditions were held in the following cities: Philadelphia, Charleston, Atlanta, Omaha, Dallas, San Diego, and Miami. My early prediction is that this character from the Miami auditions will NOT get a golden ticket.
In non-season seven news, season six winner Jordin Sparks’ self-titled debut album has set a new record. However, this is a record that Sparks probably didn’t want to lay claim to. After selling only 119,000 copies in its initial week, Sparks’ album has officially become the worst-performing debut album of any former Idol winner. Some sources are stating that Sparks felt her debut single, Tattoo, was too generic sounding and didn’t garner a solid listening audience. In addition her album doesn’t encompass a single style but flits about from pop, to R&B, to even a bit of country. Perhaps with a more focused attempt with future album releases Sparks will find more commercial success.
Season four contestant Jessica Sierra will also be reappearing on the small screen in January 2008. This time, however, it’s not going to be all glitz and glam. Sierra, a self-proclaimed cocaine addict, will be one of nine “celebrities” appearing with Dr. Drew Pinsky on VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab.” Previews show Sierra trying to cope with the recent loss of her mother as well as her acceptance that her mother was both a drug addict and a prostitute. This is only one of the demons Sierra will face during the eight episode series. Celebrity Rehab will premiere on January 10, 2008 on VH1.