A top Fox official has stressed the need for better contestants to improve “American Idol,” noting the show still has the rigor making it one of the most popular reality shows on American television.

Fox Network Group Chairman and CEO Peter Rice told the members of Television Critics Association at a gathering in Los Angeles Sunday that breathtaking contestants has been elusive to ‘American Idol’ in the last two years.

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“It’s been a very competitive year for singing shows,” Rice said, according to Entertainment Weekly. “Idol has a very committed fan base. If I had a criticism of the show, it’s that we haven’t found a group kids the last two years who really captured the imagination of the public.”

The Fox official added that it is about time to reinvigorate the contestants and realign the focus from the judges to the show’s hopefuls.

Rice added, “We talked about it this year—how do we focus on that and not get wrapped up in this constant conversation about the judges and how good they are?”

Meanwhile, the end of the auditions for “American Idol” draws near. It made its second to the last stop in Nashville Wednesday, July 30 with a large crowd gathering for the first round at the Musicians Hall of Fame at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

AI Senior Supervising Producer, Patrick Lynn described his favorite part of the Nashville audition.

"My favorite part of the entire American Idol experience is today. This is fun because you can just kind of feel the electricity in the air. Everybody's here for the same reason. This is where it all starts. A big crowd on Idol comes in, everybody's got the same purpose and they want to do well and they want to be the next American Idol," Fox quoted Lynn as saying.

Some AI alumnus also graced the Nashville audition to express support for Season 14’s hopefuls.

Season 8 contestant, Danny Gokey stressed the importance of one’s “uniqueness.”

"You got to be unique. In order to stand out, you have to be unique. You can't sound like everyone else or do the same thing everybody is doing, so make yourself stand out in a unique and positive way and that's how the judges will notice you," Gokey noted, said Fox.

Finding out the kind of music that fits an Idol hopeful will help one go a long way for Janelle Arthur.

"My suggestion is know exactly what you want to do for your music, know what genre you want to go with," the contestant from season 12 said.

The auditions for the Fox’s show will have its last stop at Cow Palace in San Francisco on September 29. “American Idol” hits the tube in 2015 with returning judges, Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban. Joining them is first-time ‘Idol’ judge, Harry Connick, Jr. Ryan Seacrest will host the show.

TagsAmerican Idol, Seasons 14 auditions, better contestants, August