Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Could it be? Is it possible?

Is someone at American Idol watching those tumbling ratings and listening to the criticism?

Is someone starting to realize that sticking with the music from Nigel Lythgoe’s youth might not be the wisest path for a show trying to remain relevant in 2013?

Here’s what we know about Wednesday’s performance show on American Idol.

1. Each of the Top 6 will perform twice, which is music to my ears because it means no more contrived duets.

2. One of those songs will fall into this category: “A Song I Wish I Had Written.”

3. A press release issued right after Thursday’s show indicated the Top 6 would also sing the music of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, meaning more of the music Idol calls “classic.”

4. A subsequent “updated” press release removed any mention of Bacharach and David.

And that might mean music to the ears of those clamoring for more current music on American Idol.

Look, I listened to Queen and the Rolling Stones in my youth, too.

But it’s tough to get excited by yet another version of “We Are the Champions” or “Satisfaction” on Idol when they’ve been done — and been done very well — on the show before.

When the show encouraged viewers to tweet theme ideas earlier this week, my reaction was ANYTHING CURRENT.

Maybe, just maybe, if we let the Season 12 cast sing songs they’re more familiar with, we might get some truly special performances before a winner is crowned.

I mean, we can criticize the recently departed Burnell Taylor for not knowing “Let It Be.”

But let’s consider that Burnell is 19 and was born in 1993.

Yet on consecutive weeks — thanks to Idol’s themes — he winds up singing “Let It Be” from 1970, “My Cherie Amour” from 1969 and “You Give Love a Bad Name” from 1986.

Heck, one of Idol’s all-time favorite themes, “Songs from the Year You Were Born,” would seem downright modern by comparison.

“Songs I Wish I Had Written” should give the Idols a chance to sing something more current.

Maybe, just maybe, Bacharach and David are being shelved for something more current as well.

Please, let it be.