Amen for Yamin

Last Week, American Idol bid farewell to the soulful Elliot Yamin. For me, this results show is the most emotionally charged for three reasons. First, this is the last elimination, and the two lucky people who had more votes will move on to the finals. Meaning, the eliminated fellow was just one show away to the grand finale (and probably a record deal). Second, even with more than 50 million calls and texts, the contestants barely surpassed each other’s share of votes: 33.68%, 33.26%, and 33.06%. Well, one can argue that it may look only a difference of 0.2%, but this translates to at least 100,000 votes. But still, statistics may conclude that the margin is near to negligible. And third, and saddest of all, the lowest number of votes were tallied to Elliot, proud son of Richmond, Virginia.

Elliot was the primary reason I glued myself to the fifth season of AI. True, I also checked out how Fil-Am Sway Penala will fair, but Elliot’s talent grabbed me early on. He may not have the personality of Taylor (or Kellie), or the confidence of Chris and Katharine, but Elliot Yamin has this certain charm, accompanied by his suave vocals, that I noticed early in the competition when every other person was rooting for Chicken Little Kevin or Ace and his eyes (both I dislike with a capital D). I seem to lean on people with the soul/r&b flavor marked on them, and to the people who don’t wear a mask.

Honestly, I cannot remember Elliot’s audition (of course, at the beginning, we are more likely to remember the awful and funny performances) but I know which song it is. Elliot made his mark in the group performance, where his efforts were applauded by Randy. He was in the same group as Sway, one of the annoying twins, and a forgettable guy. Back then, I’m quite sure his talent is Top 12 material, but I’m not that confident if he gets America’s nod too. It’s enough for me that I took a glimpse of such a wonderful voice.

During the Top 24 (12 boys and 12 girls), I was a bit worried that three of the six spots for the guys will be occupied by three Buble-ish crooners (oft-cuddled Kevin, one-dimensional but hunky Dave Bradford, and Will, who can choose nice songs) and their rivalry will be the focus of Season 5. Chris was already steady by that time, Gedeon matches the confidence of Chris, and of course Taylor, who I already labeled as the competition darkhorse, can convince people to either like him or detest him totally. Sway did not make it to the Top 6, but Elliot did, along with Kevin, Chris, Taylor, and two other contestants I regarded as jokes: Ace and Bucky. I realized then that I really cannot predict America’s pulse. But hey! Elliot’s in!

The girls are a bunch of talent too: Paris Bennett wowed the judges early on with her homage to the great old songs. Beautiful Katharine McPhee can effortlessly carry a tune. Mandisa is a powerhouse. Lisa Tucker seems to lack the depth of Mandisa and Paris, but Simon said she has the X-factor. Kellie Pickler is perky, and it worked for her for a time. Melissa rounds up the six girls (haha).

In arguably the most competitive season, I was hoping Elliot will reach as far as he could, so that more people will notice his talent, and I can hear him sing more and more. I really wasn’t optimistic for him, for he never really went far from his shy self unlike his rivals, but Elliot being himself was enough to catapult him to a Top Three finish. Accompanied by talent, of course.

In a field where some already had albums with their bands, and some other had joined other contests, or sang in a choir or weddings, Elliot was virtually a beginner. Knowing that he is allergic to most things, that he is practically deaf in one ear, and that he easily cries makes him easier to relate to. He is not your catalogue boy-next-door, and his teeth are another story. But he accomplished something that the others cannot or did not: Growth. Whereas others were becoming predictable, or tiring too watch, or showing their bad side week after week, or has ran out of cards to play, Elliot was a mean machine, improving after every show (even with occasional Bottom 3 scares), impressing us with unpopular song choices, most of which are almost impossible to sing with both pizzazz and restraint. But he has the ability and to passion to render his music with ease.

And we are impressed, big time. I still cannot decide which song he did best; I like most of them. His Moody’s Mood For Love was the proof of Elliot as the vocal royalty. His Somebody To Love reminded us that he has an amazing range and rage, and he too knows how to have fun and sound astounding at the same time. His A Song For You showed us his heart, no less.

Perhaps most will identify that Elliot’s night was the Elvis night. He had three words for the other three contestants: Bring It On. He conquered the stage with magic and showed that he too is worth the adulation of many and the praises of the judges. His If I Can Dream was lovely, masterful, and of course soulful. And if we thought that he’s done already, we were wrong. Elliot pulled all the stops for Trouble, pushing the competition higher than ever. Result: Elliot was in the Top 2, and Chris Daughtry sang his last song.

I don’t want to sound bitter, but I thought the judges and Clive Davis did not choose the right songs for Elliot. Or maybe they did, but they had magnificent choices for Kat and especially for Taylor. Elliot appeared tentative and stiff, but he performed well anyway. Maybe it was hard for him to top his Elvis performance. Maybe the nerves got to him also. Or maybe he realized that “hey, I’ve gone too far already,” surprising himself with his achievement, the simple man that he is (the last one sounded like I know him personally. haha).

When the screen showed that Elliot Yamin will leave the competition, I wasn’t really surprised, but I was sad. Looking at the tribute, I was amazed by what he has accomplished so far, winning more fans, impressing the most established of artists. He deserves the title American Idol, maybe more than the finalists. I had a bad day, just like the background song says. But this is not the end of Yamin and his E-Train; this is just the beginning.

I’m not about to say now which person I prefer to win, because this entry is not about Taylor or Katharine. This is for Elliot. I can say that he can truly inspire, from the songs he gave life to, or his life so far. There will be more seasons of American Idol: there may be better contestants, more splendid audition clips, more powerful singers, more deviant characters, more successful future recordings. But because of Elliot Yamin, the American Idol scene is now totally different: one that is laid down with heart and soul.