As the new kid on the “American Idol” judges’ block, Kara DioGuardi said her presence has already changed things up as the show readies for its Season 8 premiere.
“There’s a little girl power going on,” DioGuardi told Access Hollywood in a conference call on Thursday. “(Paula and I) kind of side against the guys.”
But when it comes to the contestants, DioGuardi said it’s the men who have impressed her so far.
“I felt that the males were the strongest,” she said. “There (are) at least five that are great. There are one or two females I’m excited about as well.”
While some contestants from recent seasons have favored rock or country, she said Season 8 promises to have a more soulful sound.
“Like the way Maroon 5 is soulful,” she said.
Fresh off a flight from Hawaii, where she was in the studio with Colbie Caillat, DioGuardi — a songwriter who’s worked with such artists as Pink and Christina Aguilera — sounded at home at the crowded judges’ table, but she admitted there’s still one thing she’s had to work on.
“I would talk over people a lot,” she said. “I didn’t really know when to talk.”
“American Idol” premieres on January 13 and 14 on FOX.