‘She’s been there through this entire process,’ he says of the ‘American Idol’ judge.

With his self-titled debut album hitting stores March 2, Jason Derülo admits that he owes a big thank you to “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi. Derülo isn’t some “Idol” reject who got advice from DioGuardi during audition rounds of the show; his relationship with the hitmaking songwriter actually goes a bit more personal than that.

“Kara DioGuardi is my baby mama,” he joked to MTV News about the singer/songwriter, who moonlights as Warner Bros. Records senior vice president of A&R. “Nah! She took a part in kind of discovering me. [Producer] J.R. Rotem brought me to her, and they put the deal together. She’s been there through this entire process.”

Record execs can be very meddlesome in the creative process, but Derülo said DioGuardi is very nurturing. “She’s never once tried to butt in, ’cause she’s an amazing songwriter,” he said. “She’s never tried to butt in or change me at all. She’s trusting me to take the reins on this whole thing.”

DioGuardi might not be intruding, but it is her job to dole out advice to musicians. Derülo said her advice for him is much different than the advice she gives out on “Idol.”

“Giving advice to me and giving advice to someone who’s really, really new at this [is different],” he said. “I mean, I’ve been doing this my whole life, and I have a songwriting background. The advice she gives me is much different. She’s the same sweetheart behind the scenes as she is on Idol.”

Kara DioGuardi: I Just Wanted To Be Liked - by Erin Hill

With a tougher image and new confidence, American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi is ready to take on a new season of contestants. The 39-year-old songwriter dishes on sharing the judges table with Ellen DeGeneres and who she thinks should replace Simon Cowell next year. DioGuardi is also teaming up with another American staple, Folgers, to invite hopefuls to create their own version of the iconic “The Best Part of Wakin’ Up” jingle.
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Kara DioGuardi had a little difficulty finding her way on American Idol last season, but much of that was not her fault. Idol was already a well-established institution, with the roles on television’s most-loved show already rigidly defined: Simon Cowell as the Mean Judge, Paula Abdul as the Nice Judge, and Randy Jackson as The Dawg. Kara’s straight-shooting but subtle style just didn’t seem to fit in right away. And when the coronation song she co-penned for last year’s winner, “No Boundaries,” was poorly received by the public, many Idol fans questioned if Kara belonged on the show at all.

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Kara DioGuardi thinks women in Hollywood need to stop fixating on the way they look. “It’s so important, especially as women, to find a passion in your life,” the American Idol judge says in an episode of The Bonnie Hunt Show to air Wednesday. “Accomplish something outside of your looks.

“I’m almost 40, and this December, I looked in the mirror and I got real close, and I was like, ‘Damn, I’ve got some lines!’” continues DioGuardi, who hits the big 4-0 next December. She doesn’t mind her imperfections though. “All I could say to myself was, ‘I worked hard. I really did,’” adds the songwriter-producer, who has collaborated with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Carrie Underwood.

Kara doesn’t completely ignore her appearance, though. Last week, she announced she was ditching her big curls and dresses for the ninth season of her Fox reality show. “Part of it is that I’m somebody who doesn’t wear a lot of makeup or do a lot with my hair,” she says. “So it was hard to see myself all dolled up.” As for what she’ll wear this year, Kara says she’s “still experimenting and still getting it together… I’m definitely trying to go more to a natural style, more rock-glam — just something that feels more like me.”

Watch her singing

Carrie Underwood is preparing to “Play On” with her third studio album, the follow-up to her multi-platinum hits “Carnival Ride” and “Some Hearts.” The new album, which hits stores November 3rd, sees the country queen teaming with the American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi co-wrote songs like “Undo It” and “Mama’s Song” with the superstar for her new album.

Katharine McPhee releases new single ‘Had It All’. The 25-year-old singer is working on finishing her second major label set, “Unbroken,” due Oct. 6. The first single from the set, “Had It All” has been posted to here MySpace page — it was written by hitmakers Kara DioGuardi, David Hodges, Mitch Allan. “Had It All” is an upbeat and infectious song reflective of Katharine’s evolving sound. You can listen to the song here

Kara released her own studio version of the song “No Boundaries” on YouTube. No information has been released about where the song was recorded or whether it will be available for purchase. While the official video is no longer on YouTube, there are a few unofficial versions floating around.

Demi Lovato has been in the studio, recording songs for the Disney Channel movie’s soundtrack. As we told you last week, Kara will be collaborating on ‘Camp Rock 2′ Songs. Demi wrote in her Twitter that she’s currently recording songs with “Camp Rock” soundtrack veteran and Idol judge Kara DioGuardi.

“Recording Camp Rock 2 songs with Kara DioGuardi!! Having serious dejja vu…. Haha” she wrote. Lovato also used the Twitter moment to share with her fans some fun trivia about their past together. “Fun Fact: Kara wrote Camp Rock’s “We Rock” and my song “The Middle”. And we co-wrote “Believe in Me” together. Psshh… I knew her butt PRE-American Idol!!!”