Watching American Idol at home, you see what the cameras see and what the director wants you to see. When you’re present in the studio, you not only see so much more, you hear so much more. That’s why Billboard is your eyes and ears, allowing you to be a part of what goes on behind the scenes.
‘American Idol’ Season 14: All Our Coverage
It’s not unusual for cast members from other Fox shows to visit Idol, and on Wednesday night, the show played host to a couple of actors who are both younger than the remaining season 14 finalists: David Mazouz, 14, plays the young Bruce Wayne on Gotham and Camren Bicondova, 15, is Selina Kyle, the future Catwoman. It was the third visit to Idol for Mazouz, who was in a previous Fox show, Touch, and the first for Bicondova, who told Billboard, “I’m really excited to be here right now. Being on sets a lot, I expected it to be a little smaller. But I walked in and it’s huge!”
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Between them, Mazouz and Bicondova, both of whom said they have been watching Idol all their lives, expressed love for the entire top five. “I didn’t have a favorite before tonight but [now] Nick [Fradiani] is my favorite,” Mazouz said. “Because [he sang] Rascal Flatts. I’m a huge country fan.” Bicondova, who didn’t hear her castmate’s pick, later told Billboard: “Tonight I loved Tyanna [Jones]’ performance and Rayvon [Owen]’s performance, but I’m also a fan of Jax and Clark [Beckham]. Everybody’s amazing and anybody could win at this point.”
‘American Idol’ Recap: Top Four Revealed
Seated in a separate section from the Gotham stars, season 14 mentor Scott Borchetta, founder and CEO of Big Machine Records, was surrounded by the Idol contestants’ family and friends as he watched the action, and after the two-hour show, answered some of Billboard‘s burning questions. =
How does he feel about the top four? “Three of the four were in my top five.” The math doesn’t seem to work if you go by past seasons — how will we get down to a final two in just two weeks? “This week, we went from five to four.” And after their home visits? “[They] get to go home a winner this week. [They] don’t want to come back a loser, so get with the program. Next week we’ll go from four to three and on Tuesday, May 12, from three to two. The winner will be announced May 13. Big Machine recording contract on May 14.” How come the Idols have been allowed to appear on the Billboard charts during the season, a series first? “We’ve got to compete in the real world. That’s the mission of bringing us into this program. That’s why I took everybody to Nashville. They got to meet with publicity, creative, marketing, promotion and A&R. How much more real can I make it for you?” And finally, does he feel challenged to create a superstar like Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood? “We didn’t come here to lose.”
Shortly after Billboard talked to Borchetta, Clark Beckham sat down for a chat and was in a serious mood after getting some negative feedback from the Big Machine founder, as well as one of the mentors-of-the-week, Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, for his smooth, R&B-coated performance of Josh Turner‘s country hit “Your Man.” “I’m extremely determined,” Beckham said emphatically. “When I get negative comments or beat up a little bit, it ignites an ever-increasing explosive fire down in my soul. I can’t help but play that groovy R&B music. I believe deep down that there are people who really dig it. Every bit of that arrangement was mine. Every chord, every vocal, every dissonant note and the bass line, I wrote out for [musical director] Rickey [Minor]. If you put a mic into the core of my soul and turn it on, that’s what you’d be hearing. That’s what comes out of me. And to then hear people like Scott say that ‘You’re on the way to a Holiday Inn, you’re on your way to the lounge of a hotel’ … I don’t have any regrets. I don’t have a choice: The music comes out. I’m a very passionate person when it comes to sports, when it comes to relationships, and especially when it comes to music.”