As the new kid on the “American Idol” judges’ block, Kara DioGuardi said her presence has already changed things up as the show readies for its Season 8 premiere.
“There’s a little girl power going on,” Kara told Access Hollywood in a conference call on Thursday. “[Paula and I] kind of side against the guys.”
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But when it comes to the contestants, Kara said it’s the men who have impressed her so far.
“I felt that the males were the strongest,” she said. “There [are] at least five that are great. There are one or two females I’m excited about as well.”
While some contestants from recent seasons have favored rock or country, she said Season 8 promises to have a more soulful sound.
“Like the way Maroon 5 is soulful,” she said.
Fresh off a flight from Hawaii, where she was in the studio with Colbie Caillat, Kara – a songwriter who’s worked with such artists as Pink and Christina Aguilera — sounded at home at the crowded judges’ table, but she admitted there’s still one thing she’s had to work on.
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“I would talk over people a lot,” she said. “I didn’t really know when to talk.”
“American Idol” premieres on January 13 and 14 on FOX.
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