Idol 72 - Jasmine Trias

72. Jasmine Trias

Season 3, 3rd Place

Before the semifinals started, I admit that Jasmine was easily one of the contestants I really was looking forward to hearing - I hadn't seen her audition or any of her Hollywood performances.

Then, when I finally heard her I thought she sounded good. I actually saw some potential, so I was glad she made the Top 12. Frankly, she started off the competition very well with Run to You and her excellent rendition of Inseparable, but then after that she progressively dwindled. I don't know.

To me, the problem I had with Jasmine was her song choices. Yes, I do respect her pretty daring choices as she always picked the more difficult songs - she was obviously ambitious, no doubt - but she really needed to learn her limitations.

During her Idol run, almost everything she sang was on the very tip of her range and she almost always had this annoying straining sound to her voice, like It's Raining Men and All By Myself. She didn't have great vocal control, and some of her runs were a bit painful to listen to. Oh, and she also sounded very nasally when she wasn't on her A-game.

Now, by the time we got into the Top 9 or 8, I was done with my enjoyment of Jasmine, and I was fine with her leaving anytime. It was somehow disappointing though that the three divas - Jennifer Hudson, LaToya London and Fantasia Barrino - clearly overshadowed her, yet she outlasted longer than two of them.

Then again, as she lasted longer and longer, she got backlash and she was remembered in a lesser light than she could have been because of this. Frankly, if she had left around, say, 5th, then she would have a lot less hate associated with her and it would have been a much more justifiable spot. 

And although her success in the United States has been limited, I'm glad that she has somehow found more of it in the Philippines. She deserves some because a 3rd place finish in a strong season of Idol isn't too shabby, even if she got votes based on factors that didn't have to do with her singing. Haha.

Favorite Performance(s): The only up-temp song I thought she ever sold was Mr. Melody, because I thought that song was a perfect fit for her and unlike Clive, I loved her riffs. Inseparable, on the other hand, really showed everything that Jasmine could've been in the competition. She stayed within her vocal boundaries and delivered a beautiful and subdued performance. She strained a little bit, but she really didn't go for the big belting like she usually did. Great tone, great control. Very nice performance.

Inseparable

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