( Rolling Stone ) -- Britney Spears received the loudest , longest applause at the start of her first taping as a judge on Fox 's `` The X Factor '' on Thursday , but it was fellow newcomer Demi Lovato who appeared ready to steal the spotlight during the second season of the popular talent search show . During the first of two days of tapings in Austin , Texas , the panel of four judges -- Spears , Lovato , producer L.A. Reid and series creator Simon Cowell -- listened to 31 singers and groups audition for a chance at a $ 5 million recording contract , with the four music industry vets critiquing the performances and deciding who should advance to the next round in Los Angeles . Spears ' addition to the show -- along with Lovato , she was announced as a new judge at television upfront meetings with advertisers earlier this month , with a rumored $ 15 million contract -- has drawn plenty of speculation about how the pop star would mesh with the other judges . Wearing a tight , fluorescent salmon pink dress , Spears was the last judge introduced to the 4,000-plus crowd at the Frank Erwin Center . She received sustained cheers as she sat down to the right of Cowell , the departed creator of Fox 's `` American Idol '' ( and normally the biggest star at the judges ' table ) . When her turn came to critique singers , Spears remained encouraging and positive , giving the most `` yes '' votes of any of the judges and keeping her comments short and declarative instead of engaging with contestants . Of a teenage male performer she offered , `` You could be bigger than the next Justin Bieber , '' and in complimenting a moving , soulful female singer on her confidence she said , `` You were flawless . '' When a performance demanded critical remarks from Spears , she replied with a simple `` pass , '' or `` I think you need someone to teach you to sing better . '' After a sub-par song from a rapper who bore more than a passing resemblance to her ex-husband , Kevin Federline , Spears said only , `` I like your hat . '' While Cowell talked to Spears off microphone between many of the performances and asked her to lead off critiques several times in an apparent attempt to draw her into exchanges , the 19-year-old Lovato needed no such prodding . Playfully flirting with male contestants ( `` she is single now '' became a common refrain from Cowell ) and giving insightful comments at every chance , the teen star drew laughs and cheers from the crowd , along with several stunned , open-mouth stares from Cowell as the two verbally sparred . It was those times when the interaction between the contestants and the judges produced the types of moments that show executives hope will increase ratings following the ouster of first-year judges Cheryl Cole , Nicole Scherzinger and former `` Idol '' judge Paula Abdul . Take the moment when Cowell , 52 , admitted to taking a liking to a charismatic 22 year-old contestant , who returned his affection . `` It 's too bad we did n't meet 10 years from now , '' Cowell said with a wink before Lovato drily countered , `` More like 30 years . '' Startled and momentarily silenced , Cowell responded , `` Demi , you 're going into the naughty chair . '' It was the first of at least three such utterances on the day that Cowell lobbed at Lovato , suggesting viewers and audiences can expect many more charged jabs between the two this season . See the full story at RollingStone.com . Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone .
L.A. Reid , Demi Lovato , Britney Spears , Britney Spears listened to 31 singers . The first of two days of tapings took place in Texas , Austin . Demi Lovato drew laughs and cheers from the crowd .