CREDIT: YouTube/American Idol

"American Idol XIII" 2014 officially premieres on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the FOX television network. According to FremantleMedia North America Executive Producer Trish Kinane, AI Season 13 will have some "constructive, meaty and interesting commentary" from judges and mentors.

Kinane also said that "American Idol XIII" will be different from the previous seasons because they made a lot of changes in the show.

"We've made a lot of changes that might seem small in themselves, but they add up to a much fresher picture overall," said Kinane in a report from the Detroit Free Press.

One of the biggest changes in "American Idol XIII" is the new set of judges and mentors.

AI Season 13 will feature singer, dancer and actress Jennifer Lopez, country singer Keith Urban and singer and actor Harry Connick, Jr. Former "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, who has been an AI judge since Season 1 up to the previous Season 12, will now become the AI contestants' in-house mentor. Jackson will replace former AI in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine.

CREDIT: YouTube/American Idol

Ryan Seacrest, who will still be the host of "American Idol XIII," commented on the camaraderie of JLO, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr.

"You guys are having a great time together, but I also think you have an amazing respect for what this franchise is, for what it's done and the people who have come from it," said Seacrest in a report from the Detroit Free Press.

Like Jackson, Seacrest has been with "American Idol" since its first season.

Urban compares himself and fellow "American Idol XIII" judges Lopez and Connick, Jr. to the early years of AI original judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell. He thinks that they had a lot of fun back then and being a judge on AI Season 13 with Lopez and Connick, Jr. feels the same way. Urban credits it to the judges' chemistry, which he believes they lacked in AI Season 12 with Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey.

Another big change in "American Idol XIII" is during the start of "Hollywood Week." It will now include "Rush Week," which is a shorter middle round for the AI contestants. Plus, the auditions part will not highlight the auditions of bad singers like the previous AI seasons did. There will still be some bad auditions that will be shown, but not as many as the ones that were shown before. And, there will be more coverage of what the judges say after the singers who have auditioned for "American Idol XIII" leave the audition room.

Urban, Lopez and Connick said that they will be honest to the contestants, but not harsh and that they will praise the good ones, but also point out areas on where they can still improve and what they need to work on.

"American Idol XIII" 2014 will premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the FOX television network. It will be a two-night season premiere which will continue on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014. It will feature AI auditions that were held in Boston, Massachusetts and Austin, Texas.

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