ask anyone – they’ll tell you i’ve been a fan of american idol for years.

it was only about a week ago that i realized i’m OVER IT. i mean, sure new judges jennifer lopez and steven tyler are cool but the show has lost its edge. every single performance is dubbed “amazing” and “ground-breaking” and just all-around perfect. where’s the fun in that? without simon cowell, there’s no spark, no discord and certainly no real opinions given.

so… with that being said, i’m now even more interested to see the 2 new singing competitions hitting the market this year: NBC’s the voice and FOX’s the x factor. the voice premieres april 26th and features a fresh new set of music judges – maroon 5′s adam levine, cee lo green, country star blake shelton and christina aguilera.

judging from the first 12 minutes of the show (check it out above), i can say the voice has some real promise. the judges sure have a great camaraderie and you can tell they’re having a blast. plus, the format is WAY different than anything we’ve ever seen which will definitely attract viewers.

cue, the x factor. very similar to american idol, but they’ve got mr. cowell. and he’s priceless! this one we’re gonna have to wait awhile on… it’s not hittin’ TV until september. so far the only confirmed judges are simon himself and music mogul l.a. reid, but we’ve heard rumors of jessica simpson, katy perry, and even mariah carey joining the judges panel too.

so, which one has more promise? it’s tough to tell. we’ll just have to wait and see!