Andy DehnartThis April, American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance executive producer Nigel Lythgoe will debut a surprisingly original new show on CMT: CMT’s Next Superstar, a competition for singer-songerwriters in which viewers vote.
I suppose that it’s for singer-songerwriters makes it slightly different, but please. CMT says the show “will search for undiscovered singer-songwriters who think they have what it takes to make it in the music industry” and “will compete while living together in Nashville,” where they “will try to impress celebrity guests each week through a series of music business-related challenges and grueling performance rounds.”
Although CMT doesn’t explicitly mention it, Nigel told the Hollywood Reporter that this is a country music competition: “Country music is all about storytelling, personalities and putting yourself into the songs. This show is not about going to a set, it’s about being in a location that has history to it. We’re down and dirty in the heart of Nashville.”