Between his work on Britain’s Got Talent, American Idol, and The X Factor, Simon Cowell has been discovering musical talents for years. To his credit Carrie Underwood, Leona Lewis and Kelly Clarkson truly are household names, but his finest ability is to get millions of people to politely sit on their sofas watching the television. Whether it is the hilarity of William Hung (YouTube) or the incredible talent of other vocalists, audiences around the world remain fixated on shows Cowell has been a part of.
Recently, the music and television mogul announced his involvement in a live, international TV show dedicated to finding the world’s next great DJ. The as-yet-untitled program will be produced by Cowell and actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, and will “comb the world to find a new breed of talent,” according to the Pinkett-Smith. The show will join a slew of other reality competitions on cable television, but will serve as the first program aimed at DJ’ing.
It’s fair to say the electronic dance community has reacted unfavorably to the news thundering away on social-media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, but some artists are keeping a level head. Whether this show aims to find the next DJ Spinny Spinny or a gifted producer is yet to be determined. There is a very blurred understanding of the definition of a ‘DJ’ nowadays because the title is thrown around so nonchalantly. However, it is important to remember the show is purely entertainment and will undoubtedly raise awareness for EDM. Hopefully, it will make a mockery of people who cannot DJ, and praise artists who can produce original tracks and incorporate them into live performances.
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