popmusiclife: Nicki Minaj & Keith Urban announced as new American Idol judges

American Idol has announced the addition of Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban to the judging panel for Season 12.

The two join Mariah Carey and longtime Idol judge Randy Jackson when the series returns in January.

Host Ryan Seacrest tweeted the news Sunday, posting a photo of the gang (see above) and writing “It's official, your new #IdolJudges are @MariahCarey, @NickiMinaj, @KeithUrban & @Yo_RandyJackson!”

Minaj joined in as well, tweeting, “New York auditions today & tomorrow! See ya there barbz!!!!!!!!!”

The four began their new Idol journey together Sunday in New York; other audition cities include Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, San Antonio, Baton Rouge and Oklahoma City.

Known for her unique performance style and iconic fashion, Minaj became the first female solo artist to have seven singles simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Minaj released her second studio album, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,” in April 2012, which topped charts internationally, and spawned the Top 10 singles “Starships” and “Pound the Alarm.” Since then, the album has sold one million copies worldwide, and has become one of the best-selling albums of 2012, according to Nielsen SoundScan. At the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, she won Best Female Video for “Starships.” At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, she won Best Hip-Hop Video for “Super Bass.”

Nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award in the category of Best New Artist, Minaj’s rapping technique has been hailed by critics for its use of alter-egos, accents (notably, British) and rapid-fire pace. Equally well-known for her unique sense of style, her use of colorful wigs and outlandish costumes ranks her as one of the world’s leading fashion icons. Minaj is in the midst of her Pink Friday: RELOADED Tour.

Urban, one of country music’s biggest stars of the decade, has four Grammy Awards and 14 No. 1 hits, and was named Male Vocal Artist of the Year three times, as well as Entertainer of the Year, by the Country Music Association.

Nicki Minaj

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Monday, September 17, 2012

Nicki Minaj & Keith Urban announced as new American Idol judges