The most-watched show on American T-V returns tonight. FOX's American Idol kicks off its seventh season with auditions from Philadelphia on a two-hour opener, followed by a second two-hour audition show on Wednesday. Over the course of the auditions, you'll see singers compete in San Diego, Dallas, Omaha, Nebraska, Charleston, Miami and Atlanta.
Judge Paula Abdul says the most-sung, and most-feared, tunes the judges dealt with on the audition trail. "It's not that we don't like the songs -- it's just that we don't want to hear them anymore. It's a toss up between Etta James's 'At Last' and [R. Kelly's] 'I Believe I Can Fly.' Or this season we heard so many of, believe it or not, Gnarles Barkley's 'Crazy.'However, they were some of the best auditions, because, believe it or not, the liberty that some of the creative contestants took with that song will surprise you."
There will be some changes this season. For the first time, contestants will be able to use instruments when they hit the Hollywood round. From there, the field will be narrowed to the Top 24, which will be evenly split between the boys and the girls. There will also be fewer mentors this year.
