'American Idol' Chicago: The recap

"Chicago was unbelievable." Nicki Minaj says. "Remarkable."

Well, maybe not. But it was a big improvement over New York.

The second night of American Idol's 12th-season premiere started ramping things up, not only the talent but also the escalating tensions between judges Mariah Carey and Minaj. The feud, which apparently boils over in next week's episodes, showed signs of building through the show,...