Well, the showmanship this year is better than any of the preceding years.
IIRC, all but one or two of the participants this year is over the age barrier setup before???
A little maturity goes a long way (btw, I am rooting for both the rockers -- none of the women really trip my trigger [and I am very straight ;) ])
AI raised the age limit this year from 25 to 29 (I think).
I think you're right about the age thing.
One of the reasons that I lean toward Carrie is that she looks almost exactly like my oldest daughter, so I have the mom thing going on with her also.
But I do like the way she sounds. A rocker would be a change of pace for sure.
Kelly Clarkson has become more of a rocker according to my daughter.