Music Idol () is the Bulgarian version of the British television hit show Pop Idol. It was a talent contest to determine the superior pop performer. Its first season was aired on bTV from February 26 until June 7, 2007. During its third season, the show went international and auditions took place in neighboring Macedonia. Other major changes in the third season: minimum age for participants 13 (not 16), more talk show than music, great accent on the hosts, hidden vote results, which makes it impossible to validate the result of each elimination.
Hosts and judges +СезонHostsJudges1Ivan HristovAndrey Arnaudov DoniYordanka HristovaGloriaSlavi Trifonov2Lucy DiakovskaVili KazasyanEsil DuranDimitar Kovachev — Funky3Sanja Nikolic (Live Shows)DoniMariaDimitar Kovachev — Funky
Rules
Season 1
Qualifications Auditioners must be between the ages of 13 and 28. They must be Bulgarian citizens.
Auditions Castings are held in the five biggest cities in Bulgaria - Rousse, Varna, Bourgas, Plovdiv and Sofia. After a pre-selection the contenders audition in front of the panel of judges seen on TV who will decide if they are going to make it to the next round.
Theatre Round In three days the judges chose among the top 100, from all cities, the semifinalists who would perform live during the show and face the public's vote.
Semifinals From now on it is up to the Bulgarian public to vote their favorite contestants into the final 12.
Finals Each week the final 12 contestants perform, in front of a live audience, songs from a given theme. Once again the public votes for its favorite with the fewest votes getter being eliminated after one show until only one contestant remains: The winner of Music Idol.
Season 2
Qualifications There is no age limit for the auditioners. They must be Bulgarian citizens.
Auditions Castings are held in the five biggest cities in Bulgaria - Rousse, Varna, Bourgas, Plovdiv and Sofia. Philipp Kirkorov joined auditions and the show only once as a judge - only in Varna. He temporarily replaced Lucy Diakovska at that stage.Philipp Kirkorov joins the judges on Music Idol 2 (bg: Филип Киркоров се включва в журито на Music Idol 2) https://news.bg/culture/filip-kirkorov-se-vklyuchva-v-zhurito-na-music-idol-2.html After a pre-selection the contenders audition in front of the panel of judges, seen on TV, who will decide if they are going to make it to the next round.
Theatre Round The competitors are split in groups and they sing solo (like in the previous round). After that the jury decides who will continue. After that the remaining contestants sing in quartets and the jury picks the best of them. Then they sing solo and the jury picks 18 people for the semi-finals.
Semifinals The competitors are split in two groups − male and female. After their first concert the public votes for them and two boys and two girls are eliminated. After that they have another concert and two boys and two girls are again eliminated. After that the eliminated eight contestants sing again and three of them are let back in the show.
Finals Each week the final 13 contestants perform in front of a live audience songs from a given theme. Once again the public votes for its favorite, the two people with the fewest votes sing and the public votes again. The contestant with the fewest votes is eliminated. This goes on until only one contestant remains: The winner of Music Idol.
Season 1
Judges Doni − pop singer and composer Yordanka Hristova (chairman) − estrade singer Gloria − pop-folk singer Slavi Trifonov − pop-folk singer, host and producer
Auditions Rousse (January 18) Varna (January 25) Burgas (February 1) Plovdiv (February 8) Sofia (February 15)
There was one exception to the age-rule − Kremena from Dobrich was allowed to participate, despite her age of 15. She eventually became a finalist later on.
Semifinals For one week (March 12 to March 19) the top 40 performed each night in five groups including eight singers with the two top vote getters advancing to the finals. On Friday night the judges announced eight singers who received another chance to perform with the top vote getter and the final pick of the judges joining the other finalists to the top 12.
Group 1 − March 12, 2007 Tihomir Dimitrov - "Ne Taka" (17.9%) Preslava Peycheva - "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (9.3%) Emiliya Dutsolova - "Povey Vetre" (11.0%) Syuleyman Evadpal - "This Love" Nikolay Manolov - "Iskam te" (17.4%) Krasimira Ivanova - "One Moment in Time" (26.3%) Preslava Mravkova - "I Believe I Can Fly" Ina Petrova - "Hero"
Group 2 − March 13, 2007 Daniela Nikolova (6.4%) Vasil Modev (11.8%) Ivaylo Donkov (7.4%) Stefan Lalchev (30.0%) Maya Georgieva Mariya Dimitrova Valentina Dimitrova (26.5%) Rosen Kukosharov
Group 3 − March 14, 2007 Gita Petkova (8.4%) Yanitsa Dafinova Iskren Ribchev (15.6%) Plamen Patov (31.3%) Veselina Nikolova Gergana Koyeva (10.6%) Rumen Nehrizov (18.0%) Aneliya Bakalova
Group 4 − March 15, 2007 (8.9%) Silvia Moneva (12.1%) Vasil Chergov Plamena Petrova Georgi Georgiev Denislav Novev (9.6%) Iliana Kovacheva (15.6%) Nevena Tsoneva (35.5%)
Group 5 − March 16, 2007 Dimitar Atanasov Teodor Koychinov (7.8%) Maria Bachvarova (8.0%) Vasko Ivanov (9.7%) Kremena Dimitrova (30.8%) Vasil Stoyanov Denitsa Hadzhiivanova (24.4%) Kristina Kokorska
Wildcards − March 19, 2007 Vasko Ivanov Kristina Kokorska
Teodor Koichinov (Judges' Choice) Dimitar Atanasov Nikolay Manolov Preslava Peycheva (Viewers' Choice) Silvia Moneva
Finals elimination chart
Stage:Semi-FinalsFinalsWeek:3/123/133/143/153/163/193/264/24/94/164/234/305/75/145/215/286/4PlaceContestantResult1 Nevena Tsoneva1stBtm3Winner2 Teodor KoychinovElimWCBtm3Btm2Btm2Btm23 ElimWCBtm2Btm3Elim4 Stefan Lalchev1stBtm2Elim5 Kremena Dimitrova1stBtm2Btm2Btm3Btm2Elim6 Plamen Patov1stBtm3Elim7 Iliyana Kovacheva2ndBtm2Elim8 Krasimira Ivanova1stBtm3Elim9 Rumen Nehrizov2ndBtm2Btm3Elim10 2ndElim11 Tihomir Dimitrov2ndBtm3Elim12 2ndElim
Season 2
Judges Lucy Diakovska - No Angels member Vili Kazasyan (chairman) - Bulgarian conductor Esil Duran - pop-folk and jazzsinger Dimitar Kovachev - "Funky" - Bulgarian rocker and producer, owner of Sofia Music Enterprises
Auditions Rousse (January 17) Varna (January 24) Burgas (January 31) Plovdiv (February 7) Sofia (February 14)
Semifinals This year saw a change in the semifinal format: After the judges picked their top 18 contestants (9 males, 9 females) the contestants were split in one girls/guys group and had to perform in the week of March 10 − March 15 with constant reduction of the number of singers in both groups to six: after the first performance show the two fewest votes getters got eliminated, leaving the top 7 of girls/guys perform again of which the top 5 vote-getters from each group will advance to the finals. Later on the judges eventually decided to make a top 13 out of the supposed 12, giving three contestants a wildcard for the finals. Two out of the top 18, Denislav Novev and Plamena Petrova, had already competed in a former year's top 50 but failed to qualify for the finals.
Girls Top 9 − March 10, 2008 Plamena Petrova - "Think Twice" Gergana Dimova - "Black Velvet" (eliminated) Maria Ilieva - "(You make me feel like) A Natural Woman" Chanel Erkin - "Je T'aime" Elena Ivanova - "Man! I Feel Like A Woman" (eliminated) Ana Topalova - "Visoko" (bottom three) Sonia Membrenho - "Iskam te" Nora Karaivanova - "The Voice Within" Denitsa Georgieva - "Respect"
Guys Top 9 − March 11, 2008 Ivan Angelov - "Change The World" Ivaylo Donev - "Georgia On My Mind" Yasen Zerdev - "New Flame" (eliminated) Denislav Novev - "You Rise Me Up" Toma Zdravkov - "Summer In The City" Damyan Popov - "Pochti zabravena ljubov" Viktor Georgiev - "Stars" (eliminated) Lazar Kisyov - "Sbogom, moya ljubov" (bottom three) Stoyan Tsonev - "Incomplete"
Girls Top 7 − March 13, 2008 Maria Ilieva - "Adagio" (eliminated) Denitsa Georgieva - "Proud Mary" Chanel Erkin - "Bleeding Love" (bottom three) Sonia Membrenho - "Listen" (eliminated) Ana Topalova - "Every Breath you take" Plamena Petrova - "Ustrem" Nora Karaivanova - "Ain't no Sunshine"
Guys Top 7 − March 15, 2008 Toma Zdravkov - "Walking By Myself" Damyan Popov - "Svetat e za dvama" (eliminated) Denislav Novev - "Let Me Entertain You" Stoyan Tsonev - "Sineva" Lazar Kisyov - "I Surrender" (eliminated) Ivaylo Donev - "Great Balls Of Fire" Ivan Angelov - "Se bastasse una canzone"
Wildcards − March 18, 2008 Chosen by the judges to advance to the finals: Yasen Zerdev Maria Ilieva Elena Ivanova
NOTE: The bottom group contestants face off in a sudden death elimination round where the voting lines are re-opened and the public have one more chance to save their favorite from elimination. Stoyan Tsonev, Ana Topalova and Chanel Erkin fell victim to this unique rule despite not receiving the fewest votes on the performance night.
Finals elimination chart
Stage:Semi-FinalsFinalsWeek:3/10-153/264/24/94/164/234/305/75/145/215/286/2PlaceContestantResult1 Toma ZdravkovFinalistWinner2 Nora KaraivanovaFinalistBtm 2Btm 2Btm 3Runner-Up3 Yasen ZerdevWildcardBtm 2Btm 3Btm 2Elim4 Denitsa GeorgievaFinalistBtm 3Btm 2Btm 3Elim5 Plamena PetrovaFinalistElimWCElim6 Chanel ErkinFinalistBtm 3Elim7 Ana TopalovaFinalistBtm 2Elim8 Denislav NovevFinalistBtm 2Elim9 Ivaylo DonevFinalistBtm 2Elim10 Maria IlievaWildcardBtm 2Elim11 Stoyan TsonevFinalistBtm 2Btm 2Elim12 Ivan AngelovFinalistElim13 Elena IvanovaWildcardElim
Season 3
Judges Doni − Bulgarian pop singer Maria − pop-folk singer Dimitar Kovachev − "Funky" − Bulgarian rocker and producer
Unlike the previous seasons, there is no chairman of the jury in honor to the late chairman Vili Kazasyan, who died shortly after the 2008 season. Nevertheless, there is a guest star in the jury in every city, where auditions take place. He/She does not have a right to vote, but can advise jury members in reaching the right decision. The guest stars for the 2009 season are:
Sonia Vassi − Bulgarian singer and model (Varna) Toni Dimitrova − Bulgarian pop singer (Burgas) Blagovest Argirov - Bulgarian pop singer (Plovdiv) Grigor Koprov − famous Macedonian songwriter (Skopje) Katya − Bulgarian pop singer, part of the famous duo "Riton" (Sofia)
Auditions
Varna (January 24) Burgas Plovdiv Skopje, Macedonia Sofia
Finalists Rusina Katardzieva - Eliminated Sonia Membreno - Eliminated Preslava Mravkova - Eliminated Aleksandar Tarabunov - Eliminated Boyan Stoykov - Runner-Up Eli Radanova - Eliminated Simona Stateva - Eliminated Viktoria Dimitrova - Withdrew Darko Ilievski - Eliminated Dimitar Atanasov - Eliminated Aleksandra Zhekova - Eliminated Magdalena Janavarova - Winner Plamen Petkov - Eliminated
Finals elimination chart
Stage:Semi-FinalsFinalsWeek:3/22-274/14/84/154/224/295/65/135/205/276/8PlaceContestantResult1Magdalena JanavarovaWILDCARDBtm 5Btm 3Btm 4Btm 5Winner2Boyan StoykovPUBLICBtm 5Btm 2Runner-Up3Preslava MravkovaPUBLICBtm 2Btm 2Btm 2Btm 2Btm 3Btm 3Btm 4 Elim4Rusina KatardzievaPUBLICBtm 4Btm 3Btm 2Btm 4Btm 2Btm 2Btm 3Elim5Aleksandar TarabunovPUBLICBtm 5Btm 5Btm 5 Elim6Dimitar AtanasovPUBLICBtm 5Btm 3Btm 4 Elim7Aleksandra ZhekovaWILDCARDBtm 3Btm 3 Elim8Simona StatevaPUBLICBtm 4Btm 2 Elim9Viktoria DimitrovaPUBLICBtm 4Btm 2Btm 5 Withdrew10Eli RadanovaPUBLICBtm 5Btm 4 Elim11Sonia MembrenhoPUBLICBtm 4 Elim12Darko IlievskiPUBLIC Elim13Plamen PetkovWILDCARD Elim
+ Legend Female Male Safe Safe first Safe second Contestant in Btm 3 Contestant in Btm 2 Eliminated Withdrew Winner Viktoria Dimitrova withdrew from the show on the rock concert, thus saving Simona Stateva and Preslava Mravkova from elimination.
See also "Ken Lee"
Notes
External links Official website