‘The fights are a distraction’
9 Feb 2013 12:24 AM GMT
For singer-actor Mariah Carey, being in news is no big deal. Multiple Grammy winner Mariah has just finished recording the song Almost Home for Disney’s fantastical adventure Oz the Great and Powerful which will be released as a single by her label Island Def Jam on 19 February. Besides that, she is also busy judging American Idol Season 12 that’s on air on Big CBS Love. Millennium Post caught up with the winner of the World Music Award for Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium. Excerpts:
You have been getting great reviews for your role as judge of American Idol Season 12. How does it feel to be a mentor? Do you find it exhausting at times?
The whole journey was very interesting. I don’t like the word ‘judging’, I like the word ‘guiding’. I just want to be honest and provide guidance. This is not about me. It’s about them, about what I can bring to them to guide them in the right direction. This is really about the contestants and the truth is you really do become attached to certain contestants who have a massive amount of talent and at that point for me it was really a hard decision. It went way beyond who’s going to be the biggest star, it was I’m really, truly attached to this contestant and I don’t know how I’m going to let them go.
Does judging reality shows like American Idol have any effect on your music?
I feel the new album will benefit from re-energising experience of American Idol.
You have been having a lot of catfights with your fellow judge Nicky Minaj (reports said Minaj threatened to shoot you). Are they just for the TRPs? How do they affect the judging process?
This is a very passionate panel. There are a lot of strong personalities. The fighting is what it is. But this is American Idol. It is bigger than some stupid trumped-up thing. It is about the next superstar. The whole thing is convoluted. It is a distraction from the show and the contestants.
What’s keeping you busy apart from the show?
I’m glad to be there, and right now after this, I’m going to the studio and working on some new music and I’m excited about that ... That’s always gonna be the most exciting thing for me.
Any plans of coming to India?
I just need somebody to tell me, ‘We are going on a tour and here is the touring route and we are gonna be going to India’.
You have been getting great reviews for your role as judge of American Idol Season 12. How does it feel to be a mentor? Do you find it exhausting at times?
The whole journey was very interesting. I don’t like the word ‘judging’, I like the word ‘guiding’. I just want to be honest and provide guidance. This is not about me. It’s about them, about what I can bring to them to guide them in the right direction. This is really about the contestants and the truth is you really do become attached to certain contestants who have a massive amount of talent and at that point for me it was really a hard decision. It went way beyond who’s going to be the biggest star, it was I’m really, truly attached to this contestant and I don’t know how I’m going to let them go.
Does judging reality shows like American Idol have any effect on your music?
I feel the new album will benefit from re-energising experience of American Idol.
You have been having a lot of catfights with your fellow judge Nicky Minaj (reports said Minaj threatened to shoot you). Are they just for the TRPs? How do they affect the judging process?
This is a very passionate panel. There are a lot of strong personalities. The fighting is what it is. But this is American Idol. It is bigger than some stupid trumped-up thing. It is about the next superstar. The whole thing is convoluted. It is a distraction from the show and the contestants.
What’s keeping you busy apart from the show?
I’m glad to be there, and right now after this, I’m going to the studio and working on some new music and I’m excited about that ... That’s always gonna be the most exciting thing for me.
Any plans of coming to India?
I just need somebody to tell me, ‘We are going on a tour and here is the touring route and we are gonna be going to India’.
Next Story
