American Idol began in 2002, according to iMDB. Television and radio personality Ryan Seacrest is the host, and record producer Randy Jackson, singer/rapper Nicki Minaj, singer Keith Urban, and singer Mariah Carey are the judges.
There are auditions in many large cities across the U.S. where singers, both good and bad, try to make it to Hollywood in order to compete to become the next American Idol.
The Voice began later in 2011, according to iMDB. The Voice is different from American Idol because the judges cannot see the person auditioning.
The goal for the judges is to pick the best voices for their team. They sit in chairs that face the audience and push a button on their chair if they want the artist on their team. The judge that picked the winning contestant also wins the competition. So far, Levine has won once, and Shelton has won twice.
There are four judges: singer Adam Levine, singer Blake Shelton, singer Cee Lo Green, and singer Christina Aguilera,with Carson Daly as the host. However, this season, which begins on March 25, singer/rapper Usher and singer Shakira will replace Green and Aguilera, who are both leaving the show for season four.
The Voice and American Idol have different ways of choosing the contestants that will compete, but they are both singing competitions and can easily be compared.
American Idol and The Voice give both singing hopefuls a chance to begin a career and to be noticed by famous record labels. Furthermore, both shows have judges that are extremely familiar with the music business, whether they are singers or music producers.
One of the pros that stands out on The Voice is that the contestants are chosen solely on their voices rather than their looks. The judges cannot see what the auditioner looks like until they decide to turn their chair to ask the contestant to be on their team.
Senior Alexandra Weaver thinks the way contestants are chosen is effective for the show.
“I like the idea of ‘Blind Auditions’ where they’re only focusing on the voice of the person instead of how they look…it’s just more put together [than American Idol],” said Weaver.
Another one of the pros that stands out on The Voice is that all of the contestants that are shown on The Voice are able to sing. American Idol, on the other hand, shows auditioners that are both good and bad.
Junior Sara Lynch thinks that The Voice is original in the way that it chooses contestants.
“I [do] think [the fact that the judges do not see the contestants keeps more singing talent on the show] because it isn’t a popularity vote [for the contestant],” said Lynch. “It’s more on just how they actually do.”
Both shows give the audience a chance to vote by texting or calling the number for their favorite singer. This can be a positive and negative aspect of the shows; people have a say in the competition, but one’s favorite is not always another person’s favorite.
People’s personal favorites can be sent home early in the competition. Moreover, there have been multiple instances in American Idol where judges (like former judge Simon Cowell) have laughed or have not been very kind towards the contestants that could not sing well enough to make it to Hollywood.
In addition, The Voice may have a great auditioner, but once the audition song is over, the judges are not allowed to push their button and ask the contestant to join their team because the contestants can only be chosen while they are performing.
Singing competitions like American Idol and The Voice may have faults, but they prove to be great entertainment, especially to those that enjoy good singing paired with good music.Sources:
-www.imdb.com/title/tt0319931/
-www.imdb.com/title/tt1839337/
