L.A. Reid on X Factor Season 2: "I Was Way Too Friendly Last Year — If I'm Around for Season 3, I'm Going to Turn Into a Real Mean Guy"

On September 28, 2012, Fox held a press call with X Factor judge L.A. Reid ahead of Boot Camp, which was moving to Miami on October 3rd and 4th. Reid — chairman of Epic Records and one of the most successful A&R executives in the history of the music industry — spoke about what he looks for in contestants, the one song that earns an automatic no, his history with Lady Gaga, and why he's decided he needs to be meaner.

I was way too friendly in Season 1, and then in Season 2 I ended up even nicer. If I'm around for Season 3, I'm going to turn into a real mean guy — because I don't like this nice version of myself.

The automatic no — "And I Am Telling You"

Asked whether there was a song he hated hearing performed the way Simon Cowell hates "Tomorrow," Reid didn't hesitate: "There's one that really bothers me. I hate the song so much I don't even know the name of it, but it's the song that goes, 'And I am telling you.' It's the song that Jennifer Hudson sings in Dreamgirls. Every time somebody gets on stage and sings that song, I just think it's so talent show and it just gets under my skin. Everybody knows it on the panel that as soon as somebody says they're singing that song, it's an automatic no."

Original songs — surprisingly good

On contestants performing original material, Reid said his instinct was to prefer familiar songs — but the season had changed his mind: "When a contestant decides to do an original song, they really run the risk of performing something so unfamiliar that the crowd finds it difficult to participate. However, more times than not, the people that have done original songs have actually done extremely well. The ones that blow it, it's usually not because of just the song — it's usually because they're pretty dull themselves. I'm surprised, because my preference is to hear songs I'm familiar with, but I've enjoyed the original songs this year."

Sob stories — he listens, but they don't count

Asked how much the personal backstories of contestants would factor into the competition, Reid was direct: "Those stories are facts of life. They're real stories. They're not made up. These people aren't cast to tell sad stories, but they're real facts of life that we find interesting. It has no bearing on how we decide on a particular contestant. It doesn't matter to me if Freddy couldn't get up out of the chair because he was overweight. I'm not going to give you a yes because you can't get out of a chair. I'm going to give you a yes because you have a heavenly voice or because you have an amazing presence. Do I buy the sob story? Absolutely not. But I like listening to it."

Lady Gaga — the one he dropped

Asked about the widely reported story that he had passed on Lady Gaga, Reid corrected the record: "I did say yes. I signed Lady Gaga and I decided after the fact that I didn't like the music that she had recorded at that time. There are moments when I regret it, absolutely. There are times when I feel like she ended up in the right hands because she did sign to my good friend Jimmy Iovine, who I think is one of the greatest that's ever done it, so she ended up great. That's the only time I've ever dropped anyone that became a star. They tell me that if I stay in the game long enough it will happen again. So far, that's the only time."

Britney Spears — her best moment so far

Reid described his favorite moment with Britney Spears as a fellow judge: "The other night, a contestant performed 'Ice Ice Baby,' and Britney got up and started popping off and I'm telling you, that was the moment for me — just watching her getting excited and watching her dance and become Britney right before my eyes. It was like magical and I loved it." On whether Britney and Demi Lovato could have handled Boot Camp as aspiring artists: "These girls are really talented and they were trained to work hard. They didn't become a success because they were slackers. The kids that we have in Boot Camp — we're putting them through drills that are a fraction of the drills that Britney Spears has gone through."

Mentoring vs. judging — and the lesson from Season 1

On the difference between judging and mentoring, Reid was unambiguous: "Mentoring is harder because when you're judging, you're taking what these contestants come up with and telling them you like it or you don't. When you're mentoring, you're putting your own creativity on the line as well. Now you're going to be judged by the entire viewing world and that's tougher. When they don't like it, it's not just a strike against the contestant; it's a strike against the judge. If you're emotional and sensitive like me, that's very difficult." On what he learned from Season 1: "I was way too friendly, and then in Season 2 I ended up even nicer. If I'm around for Season 3, I'm going to turn into a real mean guy, because I don't like this nice version of myself. I like Simon because he's always mean. I like Britney because she's mean. This year it feels like me and Demi are the nice people. I don't like that." His karaoke song of choice, if he were to audition himself: "When Doves Cry by Prince. And I would win. I'd be a one-trick pony and would only do one song, When Doves Cry." The X Factor Season 2 aired Wednesdays and Thursdays on Fox.

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