American Idol is back tonight and heading into its final weeks!
We sat down with judge Randy Jackson to talk about the show and his favorites, as well as gossip about Jennifer Lopez, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Steven Tyler.
Watch our interview above – or read highlights of our chat… after the jump!
PH: Hey everybody, it’s Perez joined by Randy Jackson. Now, we’re in the thick of it with Idol, but you have so much more going on than just that, but let’s start with Idol because it’s still the number one show in America.
RJ: Dude, we’re so blessed and so lucky. I mean, you know, we re-tooled the show, I’ve been calling it Idol Season 10 the remix. We kinda re-tooled it you know with Steven and Jennifer, and me and Ryan are still there. You’ve got the old classic flavors with a little modern twist put on it. You know we just got so blessed and so lucky. We’ve got amazingly talented kids this year, I think you’d agree and they’re all different this year. Different from past seasons, right.
PH: Did you think though going into this new season that it would do as well as it is doing?
RJ: Listen, I don├óΓé¼Γäót think any of us thought you know… During the summer which was like really one of the most nerve racking summers for us, because everybody was spending time trying to put it together, the Fox guys, (1:08 mark) ├óΓé¼┬ª.., Fuller, all of us. We didn├óΓé¼Γäót know, but you know, I knew and loved Steven forever, known him, loved Jennifer forever, known her. I just had a feeling that if they├óΓé¼Γäód come on it would happen. But dude, it was like it just went off like (1:28 mark)…. glue, done, let├óΓé¼Γäós go, let├óΓé¼Γäós roll it, let├óΓé¼Γäós do it.
PH: And Jennifer Lopez hasn’t really done anything like Idol before either. And I think a lot of people, me being one of them, were skeptical or maybe curious how she would be in that role because, and I think this has been so good for her on so many levels, I think until Idol she kinda came across a little cold, maybe. But now you get to see her as a real human who’s funny and cries and cares and that’s been great for her career.
PH: Paula, do you still keep in touch with her?
RJ: I keep in touch with Paula, I mean she’s my girl for life. I knew her many years before Idol anyway, we’ve worked together. She’s working on some interesting stuff too. Talk to Simon all the time. He’s a cool guy. He’s got his show coming here over in September, I’m sure it’s going to be very successful. He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my life.
PH: Are you concerned that after X-Factor comes, it might change the game for Idol?
RJ: No, I think they├óΓé¼Γäóre really two different shows. They happen to be both talent shows, voting, but, I think…
PH: How are they different?
RJ: Well, I mean the age in Simon’s show is 12 to 200. You can have somebody 190 and they’re singing “You’ve lost that love and feeling.”
PH: Now, one of your good friends and frequent collaborators Mariah Carey, it was just announced that’s she’s going to have a role on X-Factor.
RJ: Hey, listen, we love that man.
PH: You know anything about this?
RJ: I don’t know, I might heard tell something here or there.
PH: He confirmed it. He said that she’s not going to be a judge but that she will have an undetermined role on the show.
RJ: Yea, I mean listen, she’s amazing. She’s about to have her twins, her boy and girl with the lovely Nick Cannon who’s my boy and she’s my girl for life so I love her. And I think it’s brilliant that she’s going to play a part in the X-Factor thing.
PH: Did she consult you? Did she say “You think it’s a good idea’?
RJ: No, but I heard tell through the wind, somewhere that, something, maybe adrift…
PH: She could use a bit of a musical comeback though, would you not say that’s accurate?
RJ: Well, the Christmas Album…
PH: Yea, that was a Christmas album, that doesn’t count.
RJ: Well, I think she├óΓé¼Γäós working on something now that I think that won├óΓé¼Γäót come out for some time…
PH: She’s working on stuff? You’ve hear it? Are you’re working with her on it?
PH: Now if I were to ask you if you have a favorite or two, are you able to tell me who your favorites are?
RJ: I think that it’s a boy’s year to lose. I think now we’re down to five boys and two girls, so you’ve got to be thinking a boy maybe is going to win. But I think there possibly could be a girl up there with a boy. I think it could still turn into a boy-girl race.
PH: But in addition to Idol, you’re also are the man behind America’s Best Dance Crew. And that has come back already or it’s starting soon?
RJ: Dude, it’s back.
PH: It’s back already.
RJ: It’s the third show this season, this week. Amazing numbers at MTV, season six.
PH: There was a bit of a break though between the last season and this one.
RJ: Yea, I kind of wanted that because we re-tooled the show a little bit.
PH: Oh, you did?
RJ: And I felt that there were some things to change. The whole look of it is different now. It’s more intimate. The stage, you’re closer to the actual dancers. The reel cam has kinda been moved out to the side. It’s just different.
PH: And now you have a new girl, what’s her name?
RJ: We have this girl coming out now, Grace. She just dropped her single last week. I mean, dude she’s amazing man.
PH: Well exciting, I can’t wait to see much more from you. Thanks for coming!
RJ: Dude, Perez! Perez in the house.
PH: Randy Jackson!
RJ: Dawg, what!
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