After many long years at the top, it looks like Fox’s ‘American Idol’ is starting to lose steam as America’s top reality singing show. The culprit? Stiff competition created by Blake Shelton and team on ‘The Voice‘ has ultimately caused ‘Idol’ ratings to drop.

Without Simon Cowell’s harsh criticisms, critics have noticed that ‘American Idol’ is a bit uninspiring in its 11th season. Plus, the ‘Idol’ judging line-up of Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler draws an older audience — or at least doesn’t appeal as much to younger viewers, the Shreveport Times reports.

On the flip side, there’s ‘The Voice,’ with its all-star judging cast which includes Shelton and his pop peers Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green. Those famous faces, mixed with a fresh idea, has kept viewers young and ratings up.

“The ratings are proving there is clearly room for both ‘The Voice’ and ‘American Idol’ to not only coexist but thrive as well,” said an NBC spokesperson. “And on top of that, advertisers enjoy the family friendly environment that these shows offer and the opportunities to integrate their clients into them seamlessly.”

It might be true that there is room for both shows in the eyes of reality competition fans — but ‘The Voice’ certainly seems to have the “cool” factor down pat. Of course, we all know that trends can change in the blink of an eye. For now, it seems ‘The Voice’ — which is about to close its second season — will continue a trek to the top.

Are you an ‘Idol’ fan, or does ‘The Voice’ speak to your tastes? Tell us in the comments section below.

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