Thirteen does seem to be an unlucky number for "American Idol." The Fox reality series cannot seem to settle on a third judge. Despite reports, it seems as though famed songwriter Dr. Luke will not be joining "Idol" for its upcoming 2014 season due to a conflict of interest, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Rumors hit the Internet hard yesterday that Dr. Luke would round out the "Idol" judges table. However, Dr. Luke, real name Lukasz Gotwald, is a songwriter with a contract tied to Sony Music, who would not allow the hitmaker to take months out of his busy schedule to help competitor Universal Music Group foster new talent. UMG owns the rights to "American Idol" recordings.
For Sony, Dr. Luke has produced and co-written hits like Katy Perry's "Roar," Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and Ke$ha's "Tik Tok."
As for "American Idol," only one judge, Keith Urban, has been confirmed for the 13th season. He is the lone judge to return after last season. Jennifer Lopez's boyfriend Casper Smart accidentally let it slip that the "Live It Up" singer would be coming back to the show, but no official confirmation has taken place.
Other rumored judges include Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun and "Idol" alumni Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert.
"American Idol" is undergoing a multitude of changes for its next season. Not only is original judge Randy Jackson leaving that role to play mentor, but also the show's original executive producers, Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick, left the show. It's likel the show will undergo format changes. Despite only having one officially confirmed judge, auditions for season 13 wrapped up on Aug. 11 in Omaha.
