American Idol

'American Idol' Season 11 is almost upon us!

The Fox singing competition returns in January and if the preview below is any indication, it will be filled with our favorite 'Idol' standbys: frustrated contestants, Steven Tyler's antics, tears and declarations that these 20somethings will be "stars."

Tyler will be joined at the judges table by both Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez, despite lengthy contract talks for the latter. Ryan Seacrest returns as host.

Check out the video after the jump. One of those people could be the crowned the next 'American Idol' ...

With the Season 11 premiere only a few weeks away, 'American Idol' boss Nigel Lythgoe has released a new promo video (watch it after the jump) and talked about his plans for the show.

After all the upheaval surrounding Season 10 after the departure of Simon Cowell and the most of the judging panel, Lythgoe says he's done changing the show around. He told the AP "I think we made a lot of tweaks last year. I'm not sure that we want to make too many more tweaks this year."

Lythgoe acknowledged that the biggest change he made to the show in Season 10, which was to stop making contestants sing in styles other than their own, had been a game-changer. It produced the first country winner since 2005, and made it possible for contestants like Casey Abrams to go further in the competition than they might have done otherwise.

Jennifer Lopez is returning to 'American Idol,' executive producer Nigel Lythgoe announced Wednesday morning on 'Idol' host Ryan Seacrest's radio show.

"I am delighted to say that all three judges, along with the brilliant host of 'American Idol,' [are] back for the next season," Lythgoe said in an interview on 'On Air with Ryan Seacrest.'

Lopez's 'Idol' future was up in the air for much of the summer. In an interview with BBC, Lopez said she was unsure whether or not she would return to the Fox reality competition series.

Haley Reinhart has finally signed a record deal. She may have finished third in 'American Idol,' but the fan-favorite isn't leaving the spotlight.

Entertainment Weekly reports Reinhart signed with Interscope Records. Yep, Reinhart will be on the same label as fellow 'Idol' contestant Pia Toscano.

Reinhart is currently working on her debut album.

Check out some of the singer's trademark growling below.

It seems as though the game of cat and mouse that Jennifer Lopez has been playing with 'American Idol' execs all summer may soon be at an end.

According to 'The Wall Street Journal,' Lopez is close to signing a deal that will bring her back to the 'American Idol' judging panel for at least one more season.

When Lopez's original one-year contract -- estimated at $12 million -- expired back in May she said she was "on the fence" about committing to the series for another season, and she's been pitching her own TV talent show to networks.

'Idol' execs, in return, then let it be known that they were lining up possible replacements should they be unable to lure her back.

Growing up in Queens, New York, Pia Toscano always wanted to be a singer, and after auditioning for 'American Idol' five times she was finally granted a pass to the top tier of the 10th season of the Fox juggernaut TV show.

Toscano was a true contender on 'Idol,' hitting the highest notes with ease. But rather than fulfilling what many felt to be her destiny, the singer shocked the nation and judges Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, and Steven Tyler when she was unexpectedly given the boot halfway through the season. However, all is not lost for this makeup-artist-turned-singing-sensation, as she recently signed with Jimmy Iovine's Interscope records. And with the recent release of single 'This Time,' we're sure Pia is well on her way to becoming a pop music mainstay. AOL Music spoke to the singer about her current tour, upcoming album and the current state of her love life.

Jennifer Lopez recently told the BBC that she's "on the fence" about returning to 'American Idol' next season. Although many insiders have dismissed it as just a ploy to get a pay hike, 'Idol' execs are already discussing possible replacements should they not be able to entice J.Lo to return.

"Right now the star of 'American Idol' is Steven Tyler," an insider source tells Popeater. "Everyone thought after Simon announced he was leaving that [Lopez] would fill the void. How wrong were they? It's all about Steven, who's already signed on for Season 11."

'American Idol' season 10 runner-up, Lauren Alaina hopped on the phone this afternoon to talk to the press about her experience as one of the youngest finalists in 'Idol' history. The sixteen-year-old put in three solid performances on Tuesday night, despite facing Laryngitis. Though it didn't win her the competition, Lauren's tenacity is the mark of a true professional.

"The show must go on, always," said the Georgia native. "The doctor came in and he took really good care of me and he got my voice as good as he could so I just had to go out there and do the best that I could," said Lauren.

Your 'American Idol' season 10 winner, Scotty McCreery took some time out of the post-finale whirlwind of appearances and interviews, this afternoon, to talk to the press in the usual morning-after conference call.

"This is pretty wild, I gotta say. I mean it's a whole lot more than I bargained for coming into it. I never would have expected it but I'm handling it well. It's what I asked for and this is my new life. It's a really crazy ride, so far," said Scotty at outset of the call.

But if anyone can handle the life changing transformation that winning 'American Idol' brings, it's McCreery. The cool as a cucumber seventeen-year-old exuded confidence this season on the 'Idol' stage. Asked if he ever doubted his standing with America, however, Scotty was humble, as expected from the budding southern gentleman, heaping praise on his toughest competition, Lauren Alaina.

After being crowned 'American Idol' Season 10 champ last night, teenage country singer Scotty McCreery headed backstage to talk to reporters about his momentous victory. How does it feel to be crowned 'American Idol'?

McCreery told 'Entertainment Weekly' that, "[It] feels absolutely amazing. I mean, I'm on top of the world right now. It's just a moment I'll never forget."

The 17-year old said that while he had allowed himself to dream of winning the title, he'd managed to push those thoughts to one side and concentrate instead on the competition.

"You've got to control that. You've got to focus on what's ahead and focus on the song you're singing that week. Luckily, it's gotten me here."

We may not have been psyched about tonight's finale but a number of great performances and self-parodying clips had us clapping along and laughing out loud at this season 10 finale show. With no real drama surrounding the Scotty/Lauren race, the final hours of season 10 put the focus on a parade of fantastic guest appearances and performances. What other show can give you Tom Jones, Kirk Franklin, Judas Priest and Lady Gaga, all in the same night?!

Find out what myself, Rickey Yaneza (Rickey.org) and MJ Santilli (MJs Big Blog) have to say as we put season 10 to bed and look ahead at what's next for 'American Idol,' as well Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, in this post-finale edition of AOL TV's 'American Idol' talk show 'Something Pitchy!'

It's been a crazy ride this season on 'American Idol' (Wed., 8PM ET on FOX), but it came down to two country singers who aren't even old enough to vote yet. Scotty McCreery slowly expanded his vocal range as we moved along, while Alaina nearly didn't make the finale at all thanks to a blown vocal chord.

They both gave it all they had, bringing us two new songs at the end of the performance night that we could both see as hits in country music radio. In fact, as far as their career potential goes, this result almost doesn't matter.

The night was so packed with special guests and performances from all the Top 13 Idols from Season 10 that by the time Ryan said to dim the lights, we couldn't believe it was already time to find out who'd won.

Poor Lauren Alaina. With an injured vocal chord, she was absent from much of the performances during the 'American Idol' (Wed., 8PM ET on FOX) finale. Probably she was saving her voice for her big duet with her own idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood.

The pair tackled Underwood's hit 'Before He Cheats,' but even in this performance, Alaina had to give more of the song to Underwood than was probably originally intended. Still, she was given her moments to shine, and it proved to be a very solid performance.

We couldn't help but think, while watching this finale, that the results almost don't matter. Both Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery have huge careers just waiting for them in country music. Alaina, however, has a better shot at the same crossover success Underwood has found in pop music.

As expected, Laday Gaga kept it weird on the 'American Idol' (Wed., 8PM ET on FOX) season finale. She performed her new single, 'The Edge of Glory,' from atop a makeshift cliff, starting off with a bizarre headpiece that made her head look like it was the same shape as Stewie's from 'Family Guy.'

She stayed up there throughout the entire performance, though she still managed to strike some very shocking poses for a family show. Halfway through the performance, one of her dancers made his way up there with her, and it was none other than former 'So You Think You Can Dance' contestant Mark Kanemura.

He was always such a strange and unique performer on the show, we couldn't have picked a better place for his career to take him. Gaga and he got very intimate as the song came to a close, climaxing with a dramatic fall from the cliff.