Reality singing competition shows frequently cycle through judges due to changing budgets, but also the numerous projects people in the music business are juggling at once. Fox’s newest singing competition series, The X Factor, has not proved to be an exception to the rule. Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, L.A. Reid and Britney Spears have come and gone in the show’s three seasons on air, and soon it looks like we’ll be adding the spunky Demi Lovato to the list.
A report over at People indicates the “Skyscraper” singer is ready to call it quits. Of course, this news hasn’t come from the singer directly. She’s been enthusiastic and full of good critiques during Season 3 of The X Factor and she hasn’t taken to the airwaves or Twitter to announce she will be quitting, yet. However, People’s source indicates Lovato is extremely busy with her singing career and has plans to headline her first arena tour this winter, beginning with a Vancouver tour date on February 9. The X Factor helped to introduce her brand to a wider audience, but after two seasons on the show, it may be time to move on.
Plus, she could be bowing out while the going is still good. The X Factor hasn’t exactly been a success story during the Fall 2013 TV season on Fox. The singing competition’s Season 3 premiere was down 22% from the first Season 2 outing, and the numbers haven’t looked any prettier since. In fact, they’ve been dropping steadily from the 7 million that tuned in for this season’s first episode. On Halloween, we actually called the ratings a “horror story” and they really aren't looking any better at this point. A recent episode only garnered a 1.0 rating and 3.75 million total viewers.
If I had to venture a guess, I’d say Lovato’s potential exit could be a means to save face rather than face the cancellation from Fox that feels pretty inevitable (at least where I’m standing). While the show might seem cheaper than its first two seasons, Simon’s schtick might be getting old, and new judges Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubino might be worthless with critiques, the good news is that Lovato has nothing to be ashamed of. She’s been youthful and occasionally goofy during her tenure as a judge, but she’s also been full of advice and understanding when it comes to the contestants she has mentored. In short, she hasn’t sucked. So, whether or not she decides to leave or Fox decides to cancel the singing competition series, The X Factor has only built her brand and helped her to make inroads on television and with Fox (she recently also popped up in Glee). That’s not too bad for a few months of work over the last couple of years.
