Free Women's Blog

Carrie Underwood brought her “Play On Tour” to Los Angeles over the weekend and performed in front of a crowd of 17,000 fans Saturday (October 2, 2010) at the Hollywood Bowl. That is a huge number of fans, and it is obvious that Underwood is most likely the biggest of all American Idol contestants, and definitely surpassed Kelly Clarkson.

“What an honor it is to stand on this stage,” she said during the show. “I have never had the honor of being here ever before in my life. I have only seen it on TV and in movies, so excuse me if I get a little emotional tonight. The wall of people in front of me is just spectacular! This is truly an unforgettable night – thank you so much!”

The “Play On Tour” continues with shows in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Texas and in other 100 cities in 2010, before wrapping December in Calgary, Alberta Canada.

Believe or not, the new season of American Idol is quickly approaching and what might seem even more incredible is that it has been around for a decade. As a celebration of this achievement, American Idol candidates are now able to submit online audition videos to MySpace.

Till October 6, entrants can submit an audition video. A news release from the network states that candidates must display their “stellar singing ability by performing one of the songs from the approved list acappella. Videos are limited to 40 seconds in length, and are limited to one submission per person. Auditions will be judged in a similar fashion to the live audition cities and a select number will advance to the next round of callbacks in Los Angeles.”

This American Idol offseason has been a chaotic one, as Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi are no longer judges. Additionally, the age limit was dropped to 15, to ensure the show will not miss out on a potential Justin Bieber.

A source, however, revealed to UsMagazine.com that Jennifer Lopez will be one of the judges of the show, along with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and longtime American Idol judge Randy Jackson. Lopez, 41, is said to receive an impressive $12 million paycheck.