With another season of American Idol, another empty seat is left to fill on the judging panel. While Randy Jackson, who has never left the show since its inception, remain, there are still two seats left open since the departure of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.
Mariah Carey is set to fill one of those slots as the newest member of the panel. The R&B songstress will reportedly earn $17 million for her role on the show. While fans and analysts have been pleased with the show’s newest move, the show’s spot as a ratings king has begun to show weakness in recent years.
While still largely successful, the show has been losing fans in recent years, with often non-memorable contests and continual commercial flops with the winners. Nevertheless, the show’s new move may stand bring some of those wayfaring fans back.
Carey’s newest album (produced by the aforementioned Randy Jackson) is set for release next month, so news will continue to swell on her end.
Rumors of who will fill the final empty seat next to Carey and Jackson are still up in the air. However former Idol runner up Adam Lambert has expressed in an interest in the role, alongside a long list of stars that includes Miley Cyrus, Gwen Stefani, and Aretha Franklin.
Watch Mariah Carey’s ‘We Belong Together’ music video below:
