Nigel Lythgoe and Deborah Byrd answer questions on song selection, theme weeks, etc. -- so here is the producers' interviews thread for season 7. This`week--only 25 songs to choose from ... and more:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20183284,00.html

A snippet:

EW: "Why were there themes for the semifinals this year? In past seasons it was completely open-ended.

NIGEL LYTHGOE: Because I think last year we started on a strange footing, where people were choosing songs that they like, and you can't just choose songs that you like. You have to choose songs that you think the public are going to like. I think they're too naïve at that early stage of the competition to realize that. So we said no, we've got to choose songs with melodies, songs that you can perform, or songs that the public might know."

Think he is referring to Chris Sligh?

And...they tried to warn Asia'h about IWTDWS...

• RE: AI Burning Questions Answered--producer interview ,CTgirl, 04:25 PM, 03-11-08

Only 25 Beatles songs to chose from for 12 people?! That's just wrong.

Snidget's probably right - it's probably just the songs from 1.
(which has 27 songs on it.)

Springtime frolic by Tribe