The scandal. The bad singing. The fierce competition. Last year’s American Idol had all the ingredients for high-ratings reality success, but will FOX be so lucky in Season Seven?

Sweet-faced, young Jordin Sparks was declared last year’s winner, but her new album has gained dismal sales. In fact, Sparks has released the lowest-selling Idol debut album in the

of the show. Have fans lost interest?

During a recent appearance on The View, Idol judge Randy Jackson also had few positive comments about the upcoming season. In recent weeks, Jackson has been present at the much-hyped Idol auditions and has witnessed firsthand what sort of talent America might see next month. Apparently, Randy wasn’t “blown out the box” with this year’s crop of young talent.

You can judge the competition for yourself when American Idol returns January 15th.

(You can find all the American Idol 7 posts here.)