Clashing harmonies
Both The Voice and American Idol give the potential for artists to pickup the mic and start their careers.
Maddie Caponiti ’15
American Idol and The Voice are two of the most watched television shows according to tvguide.com. Although the ratings show that the two competitions are even, here at Convent of the Sacred Heart the opinions are palpably one sided.
The Voice is a newer show to appear on NBC now entering its third season. The competition welcomes all types of music including rap, country,jazz, blues and hip-hop. The contestants are subject to blind auditions, meaning that the famous judges, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, have their backs turned to the performer while they perform.
In order to audition for the show, hopefuls must submit a singing video to The Voice website and complete two mandatory auditions. The first performances must be accabella which means there cannot be assistance from any instruments or music. If chosen, contestants will receive a call back to audition in front of the judges.
The judges choose their teams very carefully throughout auditions, indicating their decision by pushing a button to turn their chair around. If multiple judges turn around the contestant has the opportunity to choose his or her coach. Once each team is finally formed, the head-to-head battle rounds begin.
The Voice is a competitive show because not only are the individuals competing with each other but the judges are also competing through the teams that they have carefully selected.
“I love The Voice, the rivalry between the judges is much funnier because they are competing against each other as well,” freshman Colleen DeConcini said.
Alongside The Voice‘s new appearance to television, the beloved American Idol has been running for 11 seasons and this January season 12 will premiere. American Idol is known for the solo artists that have gotten their big breaks on the show, whether they won the competition or just stood out to fans.
Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson were the original judges of the show, but recently the panel has begun to shift. This season, rap sensation Nicki Minaj, pop superstar Mariah Carey and country singer Keith Urban will reinvent the judges panel, along with the returning judge Randy Jackson. American Idol contestants must follow the short and simple guidelines that include being above the age of 15, and a legal and permanent residence of the United States.
The premiere of NBC’s The Voice was well received last season according to tvbynumbers.com. The show’s average rating was 11.579 million viewers, almost identical to American Idol’s in 2011. Despite the similar ratings of these two shows, opinions around the Sacred Heart campus are not so clear cut. Many students seem to prefer The Voice because of its comical flaws, such as the friendly feuds between judges and the celebrity guest stars that appear to guide the vocalists along in their career.
“American Idol is so 10 years ago, The Voice is so much better,” sophomore Gissele Alzate said.
– Maddie Caponiti, Staff Writer
