‘I take what I’ve grown up with, which is being a very harsh judge of myself, of my vocals, of my band,’ Aerosmith frontman says. By Kara Warner Steven Tyler Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images The “American Idol” season 10 premiere is just a day away, and to celebrate, MTV News has been rolling out our big guns, with “Idol” cheat sheets , breaking news and everything you need to know before Wednesday night’s big opener. On Tuesday (January 18), we had the opportunity to chat with new judge Steven Tyler, by way of a conference call with a handful of curious reporters. The Aerosmith frontman was just as energetic and amusing as he’s been in recent appearances, proving that his presence and commentary on the show will likely be a highlight each week. Of his experience thus far, Tyler said it has been good, adding that his judging style comes from his personal experience in the business. “I don’t take what happened to me this morning or last night or with the band … I don’t take that into judging kids [like] other people might have,” Tyler explained. “I kind of take what I’ve grown up with, which is being a very harsh judge of myself, of my vocals, of my band, and lay that across the talent that comes across my view.” Given that Tyler seems to be enjoying his new position — particularly that he gets to sit next to fellow newbie Jennifer Lopez, who he called “a fox,” — everyone wants to know how long he plans to be on the show. “I have more than a one-year contract,” Tyler revealed. “But as you know, things are what they are. But I have more than a one-year contract. I’ll give you that one.” Although we’re still far from season 11, we also got an early tip for next season’s contestants. Tyler cautioned against auditioning with Aerosmith tunes, specifically “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” — unless you can knock it out of the park. “They have to sing it good, you know. They must have sung in the seven weeks [of auditions], they probably got, you know, 15, 16 [performances of] ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,’ ” Tyler said. “It was hard for me because it always seemed to me when they said they were going to sing it, I knew someone at home was … like, ‘If you sing that song, Tyler will be enamored.’ And when I didn’t like it, I felt a little ill at ease to tell them, ‘You know what? You really didn’t sing it good.’ ” But Tyler said that if we should hear any Aerosmith on the show beyond the tryout rounds, those performances will likely be solid. “If any of them sing it now, remember we are down to 20 great people. So if they did, it would be nothing but good.” Don’t miss our “American Idol” live stream “Judging the Judges: An ‘Idol’ Without Simon,” featuring post-show analysis from Jim Cantiello and special guests, on MTV.com this Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. Tweet your “Idol” commentary with the hashtag #idolwithoutsimon and we could quote you on the show! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Announces Its Season 10 Judges! Related Artists Steven Tyler
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Steven Tyler Explains His ‘American Idol’ Judging Style
