Idol 51 - Camile Velasco

51. Camile Velasco

Season 3, 9th Place

Camile is one that I think is underrated. Poor girl. I'm not saying she was great or even especially good, but she wasn't terrible. People seem to act like she just delivered horror performance after another. I don't get that.

Yes, when Camile auditioned, I was instantly a fan. For me, having a great audition goes a long way in my book and Camile did just that. She showed great potential as a modern RnB/Hip-Hop artist. Plus, she had a very cool, smoky tone to her voice that I loved. Unfortunately, she never quite topped the audition.

Now, I personally think that she has got to be the contestant that suffered the worst stage fright on Idol History EVER. I mean, I saw her fear in every episode and she seemed like she was thinking every movement on that Idol stage. Surprisingly though, that never bothered me. However, I think that is one of the main reasons people don't like her. They just couldn't get past that.

But vocally, I don't think she ever delivered a bad performance. Sure, there were definitely some bland ones, but none - in my opinion - where she was just completely off. And yes, that includes Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which I thought was alright. Ha!

To be honest, I'd absolutely love to put Camile about twenty spots higher, because she has proved recently how great she is. She puts up YouTube vids of her singing every week on a thing called camileTV and I am addicted. She sounds so much better than she did on the show.

To me, if she sang like that during his Idol stint, she'd pretty much be guaranteed a spot in my Top 20. I think she has a beautiful distinct tone. She's got a very fast vibrato, but it actually works with her voice, for some reason. I think her style and sound is incredibly marketable, and a record company would be foolish not to sign her up. She may have been bland on the show, but I think Camile has the voice of a superstar today. Seriously.

Favorite performance(s): Her audition was definitely my favorite from her, as I've already said. The judges have compared her to Lauryn Hill, and I definitely got that vibe. Vocally, it was a tad robotic, but the sound and style would've been amazing on the show. I'd love someone with a hip-hop voice like that. Now, my favorite live performance was easily One Last Cry. The song complemented her tone well, and it was definitely a pleasure to watch on possibly the worst night in Idol history. Haha.

Check this out!

Open Up - Camile Velasco

One Last Cry

Heartless (Kanye West Cover)

What You Got (Colby O'Donis Cover)

American Boy (Estelle Cover)

Top 50 Teaser!