‘American Idol XIII’: Keith Urban, Harry Connick Jr. continue to stress that this season rules

Dear former “American Idol” viewers, please come back. Will you? Please? We’re really better, we promise.

In our brain, this is what we imagine the folks from the Fox singing competition trying to telepathically transmit to viewers. The producers, the judges, and we’re pretty sure even the contestants are trying to do just about everything in their power right now to let you know that this is a better season than season 12, and one that will be stuffed full of happy vibes rather than divas, dramas, and dreary song choices that Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick first wrote on a chalkboard over a decade ago.

In the new “Access Hollywood” video below, you get an opportunity to hear both Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban try to make their case yet again as to why the show is different now, and significantly more awesome than it was in season 12. Really, these guys don’t have to do that much convincing, since their chemistry speaks for itself. They get along, and the way that they speak matter-of-factly suggests that most of the egos are going to be checked at the door.

The show is currently in the process of filming Hollywood Week, which is of course that terrifying part of the show where contestants are kept up to ridiculous hours and forced to sing with people that they may or may not even like. This is made all the more stressful this year by a twist that forces singers who did not receive three “yes” votes in their audition to perform again, thus making the competition even more competitive than it already was.

“American Idol” premieres on Fox January 15, but we’ll have more updates throughout the entire waiting game here.