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.
Reach Out I'll Be There
American Juniors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because all of your hope is gone,
And your life is filled with much confusion
Until happiness is just an illusion,
And your world around is crumblin' down;
Darling, reach out (come on girl, reach on out for me)
Reach out (reach out for me.)
I'll be there, with a love that will shelter you.
I'll be there to always see you through.
When you feel lost and about to give up
'Cause your best just ain't good enough
And you feel the world has grown cold,
And you're drifting out all on your own,
And you need a hand to hold:
Darling, reach out (come on girl, reach out for me)
Reach out (reach out for me.)
I'll be there, to love and comfort you,
And I'll be there, to cherish and care for you.
I'll be there to love and comfort you.
I can tell the way you hang your head,
You're without love and now you're afraid
And through your tears you look around,
But there's no peace of mind to be found.
I know what you're thinkin',
You're alone now, no love of your own,
But darling, reach out (come on girl, reach out for me)
Reach out (reach out for me.)
Just look over your shoulder
I'll be there, to give you all the love you need,
And I'll be there, you can always depend on me.
The lyrics to American Juniors' song "Reach Out I'll Be There" carry a message of hope and support for someone who may be going through a difficult time. The song opens with an acknowledgement of the struggles the person is facing - feeling hopeless, confused, and seeing happiness as an unreachable illusion, while their world is falling apart. However, the singer encourages the listener to reach out to them and have faith that they will be there with a love that will protect, support, and ultimately see them through any obstacles that may come their way. The chorus repeats this sentiment, reminding the listener that they will always have someone to turn to when life gets tough and they need guidance and comfort.
The second verse tackles a somewhat different topic but with the same underlying message of support. This time around, the song is addressing someone who may be feeling discouraged or defeated because they feel they aren't good enough. The singer reminds them that it's okay to feel lost, but they don't have to do it alone - they can reach out and hold a hand that will offer them love and comfort. Throughout the whole song, the singer insists that they will be there for the listener, no matter what the circumstances may be. The lyrics are full of warmth and encouragement and aim to inspire the listener to find the strength to keep going, with the knowledge that they have someone they can rely on.
Line by Line Meaning
Now if you feel that you can't go on
If you're feeling defeated and hopeless
Because all of your hope is gone
If you've lost all confidence
And your life is filled with much confusion
If your life is complicated and unclear
Until happiness is just an illusion
If you can't see any reason to be happy
And your world around is crumblin' down;
If everything seems to be falling apart
Darling, reach out (come on girl, reach on out for me)
Ask for help
Reach out (reach out for me.)
Reach out to me for support
I'll be there, with a love that will shelter you.
I will protect you with my love
I'll be there, with a love that will see you through.
I will help you overcome your struggles with my love
I'll be there to always see you through.
I will always be there for you
When you feel lost and about to give up
When you're feeling hopeless
'Cause your best just ain't good enough
When you feel like you're failing
And you feel the world has grown cold,
When you feel like the world is against you
And you're drifting out all on your own,
When you feel alone
And you need a hand to hold:
When you need someone to support you
Darling, reach out (come on girl, reach out for me)
Ask for help
Reach out (reach out for me.)
Reach out to me for support
I'll be there, to love and comfort you,
I will show you love and give you comfort
And I'll be there, to cherish and care for you.
I will cherish and care for you
I'll be there to love and comfort you.
I will be there for you with love and comfort
I can tell the way you hang your head,
I can tell that you're sad
You're without love and now you're afraid
You don't have anyone to love, and you're scared
And through your tears you look around,
Even though you're crying, you're searching for comfort
But there's no peace of mind to be found.
You can't find peace in your mind
I know what you're thinkin',
I understand what you're thinking
You're alone now, no love of your own,
You're single and don't have a romantic partner
But darling, reach out (come on girl, reach out for me)
Ask for help
Reach out (reach out for me.)
Reach out to me for support
Just look over your shoulder
Look for me
I'll be there, to give you all the love you need,
I will love you as much as you need
And I'll be there, you can always depend on me.
You can always rely on me to be there for you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL VINCENT COLLINS, LAMONT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD JR. HOLLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind