Around 2,000 children and teenagers auditioned for the show; from these twenty were chosen as contestants. Throughout the season, this number was narrowed down to five through several rounds of voting. Like American Idol, voting was done by the show's viewers via telephone. Unlike Idol, to prevent hurt feelings, the contestants were voted into the group, as opposed to being voted off the show. Idol host Ryan Seacrest repeated this duty for most of the shows. Idol judges did not appear (other than one satellite hookup with Simon Cowell from the second season of Pop Idol); the principal Juniors judges were Gladys Knight (who also hosted when Seacrest was absent), Deborah Gibson, and Justin Guarini (American Idol (Season 1) runner-up). A number of Idol alumni, such as Ruben Studdard and Christina Christian, made guest performances.
The five contestants who remained at the end of the season were formed into a group also named the American Juniors. They were Lucy Hale, Tori Thompson, Taylor Thompson, Chauncey Matthews, and Danielle White.
American Juniors became one of the highest rated televison shows of the summer season, with approximately 11.9 million viewers on June 3, though the numbers dropped 40% toward the end of July. Nonetheless, the producers were satisfied of the strong teen demographic. A second edition had been planned for fall 2003, later postponed to the summer after American Idol (Season 3), then called off. [1]
Seeing children and young adolescents competing gave some viewers a sour taste as the show had many "stage parents" in the wings. [2]
The American Juniors made a brief appearance on the December 2003 American Idol Christmas special, An American Idol Christmas. Their debut album American Juniors was released on October 26, 2004 after a year's delay from its original scheduled date.
The American Juniors group disbanded in 2005. The members seem to be pursuing individual efforts and there is little publicity about them as a group. The show website became inactive in April 2005, but the music website remains intact as an archive. In May 2005 the Thompson sisters' website announced they were now out on their own. [3]
Radio stations that play children's music (e.g, Disney, or digital radio) still occasionally play the music of American Juniors.
One Step Closer
American Juniors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Such a long time just tryin' to get through
And its takin'
All of my strength to keep me here
Away from you.
It doesn't matter just how long it takes
Nothing changes when we're apart
One step closer to heaven baby
Means one step closer to you
There'll be no more livin' without you baby
I'm counting each minute 'till I'm back to you
One step closer to heaven baby
Hold on! Hold on! Hold on to my lovin'!
I've been savin' every little bit of my love for you
I've been dreamin' just to get by,
It's so exciting, fantasisin'
It doesn't matter just how long it takes
Just to know we're back together
And this time, it's forever!
One step closer to heaven baby
Means one step closer to you
They'll be no more livin' without you baby
I'm counting each minute 'till I'm back to you
One step closer to heaven baby
Hold on! Hold on! Hold on to my lovin'!
It doesn't matter just how long it takes
Nothing changes when we're apart
It's just a little bit longer, we've come this far!
One step closer to heaven baby
Means one step closer to you
They'll be no more livin' without you baby
I'm counting each minute 'till I'm back to you
One step closer to heaven baby
Means one step closer to you
They'll be no more livin' without you baby
I'm counting each minute 'till I'm back to you
One step closer to heaven baby
Hold on! Hold on! Hold on to my lovin'!
The lyrics of "One Step Closer" by American Juniors describe the longing of someone who is separated from their loved one and their journey towards reuniting with them. The singer has been waiting for a long time and the distance between them is taking away their strength to stay away from their beloved. However, they are optimistic that they are getting closer to reuniting with them, which they compare to getting 'one step closer to heaven'. The singer has been saving their love for their partner and dreaming about being together again. Despite the time it takes for them to come together, the singer knows that their love will not change, and this time, they will be together forever.
The song is about the perseverance of love, hope and optimism amidst separation. The lyrics speak to anybody who has ever been away from their loved ones and can relate to the feeling of missing them. The song is a reminder that distance or time cannot diminish the strength of true love. The use of the phrase "one step closer to heaven" is quite poetic, and it symbolizes that the singer feels complete and fulfilled when they are with their loved one. Ultimately, the song is an ode to the power of love that can bring people together even after they have been apart for a long time.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been waitin'
I've been waiting for you to come back to me.
Such a long time just tryin' to get through
It's been a very long time, but I'm still trying to endure until we're together.
And its takin', all of my strength to keep me here, away from you.
It's taking all of my strength to stay away from you and wait for the moment we can be together again.
It doesn't matter just how long it takes
The time it takes for us to be together doesn't matter, as long as we end up together.
Nothing changes when we're apart
Time apart doesn't change my love for you.
It's just a little bit longer, we've come this far!
We've waited this long, we can wait a little longer to be together.
One step closer to heaven baby
Every progress we make towards being together is one step closer to heaven.
Means one step closer to you
Every progress we make towards being together is one step closer to being with you.
There'll be no more livin' without you baby
I can't go on living without you.
I'm counting each minute 'till I'm back to you
I'm eagerly waiting and counting the minutes until we're back together.
Hold on! Hold on! Hold on to my lovin'!
Hold on to my love and don't give up, we'll be together soon.
I've been savin' every little bit of my love for you
I've been saving all my love for you, and only you.
I've been dreamin' just to get by,
All I've been doing is dreaming about our future together, just to get through the days.
It's so exciting, fantasizing'
The thought of us being together excites me, and I always fantasize about it.
Just to know we're back together
The most important thing is for us to be back together again.
And this time, it's forever!
When we're together this time, it's going to be forever.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RUSS FREEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind