From the moment Tamyra Gray stepped onstage to deliver a rousing rendition of america's national anthem, to the last bars of Fantasia's emotionally fraught I Believe, I can safely say that the producers got it right this time around... I actually enjoyed every single one of the performances; Diana & Fantasia, accompanied by previous Idols, Kelly Clarkson and Ruben Studdard, did a marvellous job on the classic Impossible Dream, and it was nice to see the twelve finalists performing a group medley once again. Although there was some obvious bias involved (because the finalists were not given equal singing time), it was a masterstroke of genius to let Jennifer, Latoya and Fantasia close the medley with their soaring vocal pyrotechnics -- I almost swooned in ecstasy~!! Not to be outdone, Kelly's solo, Beautiful Disaster was quite amazing too but if there's one thing which I think she and Ruben really need right now, it's a diet~! *muahaha* I thought the show would have been perfect if it hadnt been for the most disturbing sight of Diana's hefty cleavage during her dressing room interview :p
In retrospect, it's amazing to realize how much Fantasia has grown on me. Her gravelly (and at times nasal) vocals may be a tad aggravating after prolonged listening, but there's no mistaking the sheer distinctiveness of that voice. A long time ago, I detested her seeming complacency; I thought she probably knew that she was the judges' favorite right from the start. Yet, with each passing week, I was exposed to different aspects of her personality and thus I grew to understand, and appreciate, this 19yr-old woman-child from the small town of High Point, North Carolina.
There are alot of things about Fantasia which the common Idol fan might not be aware of. It has been made evident that she's a single mother with a two-yr old daughter, Zion, but in actuality, Fantasia was never married. She's a high-school drop-out who sang at weddings and events to make ends meet. She was a victim of assault (her daughter's father punched & tried to strangle her once). Despite such a background, it's good that she didnt win votes through sympathy but via hard work, determination and talent instead. All these combined, makes Fantasia a real person to me, not some affected Christina Aguilera carboncopy or Mariah-Celine-Whitney wannabe with lofty pretensions of superstardom.
In behaviour, Fantasia might seem unruly, crass and belligerent but in song, she displayed a raw emotional honesty which transfigured her whole being into something short of indescribable. Frankly speaking, her vocals does not even come close enough to match Latoya's impeccable deliveries, Diana's power or Jennifer's blow-you-away theatrics but there's something about Fantasia onstage which is immediately appealing. Whether working the crowd with high-octane energy on Signed, Sealed, Delivered or exuding intangible pathos on Greatest Love Of All, there's no denying that Fantasia is a singer who has shown a lot of heart. And therein lies her strength.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not a staunch Fantasia lobbyist, nor exactly a fan, but Ms Barrino has won my utmost respect and admiration. Congrats!
