Get out the tissues, because the upcoming season of FOX’s American Idol looks to be an emotional rollercoaster.
In the latest TV promo for the singing competition, new judge Mariah Carey gets a little teary-eyed while talking about mentoring young minds and helping aspiring singers hone their voice.
“I felt every single word you sang,” she tells a contestant, wiping a tear from her eye.
“I always sang, and I always wrote. It’s just about having that ambition,” Carey, 42, says in the promo. ”You really can’t let go of your dreams.”
Carey joins country crooner Keith Urban and Idol‘s sole returning mentor Randy Jackson at the judge’s table for the series’ 12th season — though rumors have been swirling that Carey is currently feuding with fellow judge, rapper Nicki Minaj.
In early October, footage from an Idol audition leaked online, in which Minaj, 29, threatened to “knock out” Carey.
Despite the physical threat, Carey remained her composure and husband Nick Cannon rushed to defend his wife.
“I mean, yeah, clearly you can see that they are a very intense judging panel, but obviously everybody is interested in what the show is going to be about, and my wife is the classiest and the strongest woman that I’ve ever met, so she’s handling it the way she is supposed to handle it,” Cannon, 32, said in a recent interview on Anderson Live.
Are you excited for the Idol’s upcoming season? Sound off below.
American Idol is set to premiere on Jan. 16, 2013.
