American Idol reboot shows the resilience of talent, even with superstar judges

The New York Times

The new batch of Idol contestants have managed to be quirky and interesting as they've grown into better performers. "In later seasons of Idol, and subsequently on The Voice, these contestant arcs were replaced by judge dramatics," says Jon Caramonica. "The Voice especially showed that pop stars, if they took the judging chair, would not just be the arbiters of a competition but also stars of their own weekly sitcom. The new Idol acknowledges this shift without crumbling under it. (Katy) Perry is a talented physical comedian and a ham willing to wail over her purported contestant crushes, though as a judge, she’s especially tough on the young female performers. Mr. Bryan is especially tough on the English language; as a judge, he’s Randy Jackson reincarnate. (Lionel) Richie is the shepherd of this uncertain flock. He is the most firm with criticism, and also the most generous with praise."