American Idol - How the Show Works

If you don't know how American Idol works, maybe you could tell us what rock you crawled under from. The hit show American Idol has caused such a stir because the success or failure of a particular singer rests in your able fingertips. The show only presents you with the most qualified and from there; the rest is up to you.

How does American Idol actually work? Basically, to be on American Idol, you must first be a legal US citizen, a permanent US resident or have papers to prove that you are legally allowed to work in the United States. You should be between 16 and 28 years of age and must be an amateur singer. If you have any recording contract, or are already represented by a manager, you will be deemed ineligible to participate in the show. In addition, you should also not be one of the top 30 to 44 contestants of previous AI seasons.

If you comply with these requirements, you can proceed to the nearest audition center and wow Randy, Paula and Simon with your singing prowess. If you manage to impress two of the three judges, your next stop will be Hollywood, where you and the other finalists from the other states compete for a spot in the finals. In Hollywood, the finalists will not only be judged according to their vocal quality, but on how they work as a team as well.

It is only when the judges have selected the final 12 contestants will the battle to win America's hearts begin.

How do these contestants become the next American Idol anyway? During the entire run of the finals, the contestants are tasked to sing, not just any song from any genre, but songs that fall within a specific musical category (western, Broadway, rock, etc). This is done not to make life terrible for these star wannabes, but to show their versatility as performers. After each contestant finishes his rendition, the judges will give the contestant a critique of his or her performance. The negative criticisms are not meant to demean the participant, but to help him or her further improve his or her performance. When the judges are through with their critique, a number is flashed on the screen and those who believe that that particular singer should be crowned as the next American Idol will cast their votes via SMS (short message system) or by punching in a specific set of numbers on their touch-tone phones. These votes are then tallied and the next day, the contestants who received the three lowest votes are asked on stage and the one with the lowest votes get to take a final bow and say goodbye to the crowd. The procedure repeats itself; though sometimes, the participants sing more than one song, and every week, a contender goes home until only one - a product of your votes, and the next American Idol remains.

Dave Reynolds writes on a number of different subjects, from autos and personal finance to gadgets, cell phone skins, games, and electronics.