Singapore Idol is a singing competition

Singapore Idol is down to its last six contestants with the judges bracing for another surprise, erm, disappointment. Why, last week we saw the exit of Mathilda Da Silva, who was one of the decent idol-wannabe while the obviously weakest singers but girl-magnet clowns - Joakim Gomez and Paul Twohill - stood firm. As it is, the lot are lacking talent of international caliber, even the promising Hady Mirza, who consistently stirs the crowd with his clean vocals and edgy performances, does not come out unique and exceptional. The judges are raving over Jonathan Leong's distinct tone, however, his performances so far have been mediocre and at one point over-the-top. He cannot pull off a stirring performance like Hady, and his otherwise unique vocal quality lacks dynamics. As for Nurul Maideen, she is pretty and stylish and can somehow deliver but she is never competitive and does not seem able to come out with a surprise. Finally, Jasmine Tye, yeah, she is just the female version of Joakim Gomez.

The competition is not surprisingly between Hady Mirza and Jonathan Leong, talent-wise. However, Idol is not a mere showcase of talent but a measure of the ability to get the most votes. Singapore wake up! Or should I say listen up? You don't want to be embarrassed by having a clown as Idol, do you? The TV plugs are right, vote wisely and remember that Singapore Idol, after all, is a singing competition.