Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid on The X Factor Season 2: "We're Going to Have Two Female Judges — That You Can Count On"

On February 22, 2012, FOX held a press call with Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid to discuss The X Factor Season 2 auditions, which were set to begin with MyStudio booth and online auditions on March 1st and open call auditions in Kansas City on March 14th. The call covered judge and host announcements, a Whitney Houston tribute, the fate of Season 1 artists, and a prediction about One Direction that would prove spectacularly correct. Premier Guide Miami was among the outlets on the call.

We're entering a very exciting phase again of pop music. One Direction will be huge this year — and it's going to attract the next 'N Sync or the next Backstreet Boys.

Two female judges — and two hosts

The most concrete announcements of the call were structural. On judges, L.A. Reid was unambiguous: "The only thing you can count on is that we would likely have two girls. That you can probably count on." Cowell confirmed: "Yes, I think that's 100%, L.A." On the judge speculation — Britney Spears, Fergie, Janet Jackson — Cowell declined to confirm or deny: "There's a load of speculation, some true, some not true. We really waited to see who was going to contact us before we actually contacted people. While you've got The Voice and Idol competing with each other, I've learned a big lesson: keep your mouth shut." On hosts, Cowell was equally direct: "There will be two. You've got so much information you've got to relay as one person now, it's almost impossible. I always wanted a boy and a girl to host the show, and I think that's definitely going to happen now. And I doubt the people we're hiring are current hosts — they might come from a different background."

Whitney Houston — and a tribute that had to be different

Whitney Houston had died just ten days before the call, on February 11th. When asked about a tribute, Reid responded immediately: "I think that's a great idea. The music is so amazing and so generational and such a challenge for singers because the songs are so well performed." Cowell was more strategic: "I've got a feeling, L.A., just a hunch, that you may see a Whitney tribute on The Voice and Idol before us. In which case if we decide to do it, we have to do it in a different way." He added: "The important thing is that we're going to continually pay tribute to Whitney Houston on this show. There probably won't ever be a season where you won't hear a Whitney song. They're timeless." On whether her music would reach younger audiences, Reid was philosophical: "Great music tends to do that. It's not something we actually have to perpetuate. It happens on its own because of the quality of the music."

One Direction — and the case for groups

Asked about groups in the competition, Cowell made a prediction that would prove correct within months: "A group who were third on X Factor U.K. in 2010 are about to literally explode in America — One Direction — and there's even a chance their album may debut at number one when it's released." He explained how the group came together: "I made a decision that they hadn't quite made it as solo artists, and the groups that year were terrible. We made a decision on the day to experiment and put these five guys together. They just felt right. We gave them an awful lot of latitude. We never hyped the group or pushed it. It happened on its own momentum in America." He connected it directly to the American show: "It's going to attract hopefully the next 'N Sync or the next Backstreet Boys or the next Destiny's Child. There are not that many groups doing well in America right now, and this is a massive opportunity." He and Reid also agreed on one more: "Or TLC, L.A., we'd like that, wouldn't we?" Reid: "Absolutely. We would love TLC."

Rachel Crow, the Season 1 artists, and the "Jennifer Hudson save"

The call also addressed the controversial sing-off format from Season 1, which had resulted in Rachel Crow's elimination after the decision was thrown to the public. Cowell defended the mechanism while acknowledging it hadn't worked as intended: "This sing-off was really intended to save somebody who we thought should stay in the competition but just had a bad night. We call it the Jennifer Hudson save — if this process had been in place on Idol that week, Jennifer would have still remained in the competition." On Rachel's news — she had just announced a deal with Nickelodeon and Columbia Records — Cowell was characteristically direct: "I can remember sprinting on to the stage and saying to her, honestly, I genuinely believe in a weird way this is the best thing that's ever happened to your career, which didn't go down particularly well on that night. But a few days later it sunk in." Reid added: "From the very beginning we always felt she had what it takes to become a major star. Winning was difficult, but it didn't stop the process." On the broader Season 1 artist roster, Reid confirmed Melanie Amaro, Chris Rene, Josh Krajcik, Marcus Canty, Rachel Crow, and Astro had all signed deals, with Astro recording in Miami with Pharrell. The X Factor Season 2 auditions began March 1, 2012.

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