In defense to Jason Castro

After youtube hunting and reading articles about Jason Castro and the general opinion on him, I am put in a position where I am obliged to say something in defense to him.

Not simply because he is quite good-looking (an observation all female fans alike have realized), but based on his overall package. For me, American Idol is all about people with 1) great, magnetic personality, 2) a unique melodic style, and 3) a good voice. Castro possesses all three of them.

Let me elucidate. If you close your eyes and listen to a Castro-sung song, you can immediately point out that it's the dreadhead singing. If you close your eyes and listen to a Sayesha performance, you will probably have a hard time guessing.

And if you are asked to recall the greatest performances of this season, I would bet that you would remember Hallelujah and Somewhere over the Rainbow, because of how different and beautiful it was interpreted. Not saying that these are the only memorable songs, because I am a true blue Cook fan as well, and I believe that Cook is still more deserving than him.

What I find unfair is when Castro is judged as not wanting it enough, based on the norm of what "wanting it more" is. Castro has always been laid back, and always will be. That's him. Just because he doesn't tell the judges how much he's put his all into the songs doesn't mean he wants it less. Just because he doesn't close his eyes and bob his head and belt doesn't mean he's less passionate.

The main attraction w/ Jason, for me, is exactly the fact that he is different. We don't need replicas of current pop stars, we need new talents. Castro is a new talent. He's a fresh new face, a fresh new voice, and I believe he should be praised for that. He's had his ups and downs in AI, but his uniqueness has always been prevalent in each performance. That's all that should matter.

Renaldo Lapuz - THE defining moment of Season 7

I am your brother
Your best friend forever
Singing the songs
The music that you like
We're brothers til the end of time
Together forever til the end of time
I am your brother
Your best friend forever
Singing the songs
The music that you like
We're brothers til the end of time
Together or not, you're always in my heart
Your hurting feelings
Will reign no more

If you're watching American Idol Season 7 then you definitely know this song. You must have endured a few sleepless nights with this tune plaguing your head (or it might just be me).

If you're not watching American Idol Season 7 because you believe that it has nothing more entertaining to offer, then watch it now:



If you're not laughing right now, then you might be dead. Or 99% of the other viewers just have a corny sense of humor ;)

I predict that Renaldo Lapuz will be THE most talked about phenomenon of this season. Just a quick search through youtube.com shows that it's already happening! Check out just a few of the people who have submitted a video singing Renaldo's original composition!



A beautiful version of the song:


If you remain unconvinced, Renaldo Lapuz has his own website! And traffic seems to be pouring in like crazy!
http://www.renaldolapuz.com/

This is just another reminder of how powerful this show really is. Kinda creepy realization if you think about it :)