Just this past Wednesday, fans across the nation were buzzing in excitement for the official 2013 premiere of “American Idol”—and with a whole new set of judges, it was sure to stir up some controversy.

Set in Chicago, the twelfth season of this popular TV show was packed with surprisingly emotional, tear-jerking auditions; but (as evident through the 19 percent drop in ratings) not everyone is impressed with this year’s judges.

“I mean, I think they are still worthy of the position and they will be great judges, yet without Simon and all the original judges the show seems to be missing something,” comments Junior Erin Moreau. “Simon’s criticism was always comical and the show feels different without his remarks.”

Moreau is just one of the many American viewers who are dubious about the upcoming season—although Minaj, Carey, and Urban certainly add some enthusiasm and joke-worthy banter, a lot of people feel that the show just isn’t the same without Simon.

People also feel that the competitive feud between Minaj and Carey will hurt the show’s ratings by turning off viewer’s attention.

At the same time, there are still others who believe that the show can prosper without the original cast—after all, there’s no denying that the new panel is both talented and well-known.

“I watched the first episode last night, and I really enjoyed it. I like the new panel of judges, especially Nicki Minaj!” says Junior Stephanie Queenan.

“At the same time,” adds Queenan with a hint of doubt, “I do kind of miss Simon. I liked how he told the truth…he’s mean, but he gets his point across!”

After only a few days on air, it’s already quite clear that this brand new season will be an interesting one.