Naima Adedapo Top 24 Performance on American Idol 10

Naima Adedapo is a dancer and singer who has made it to the Top 24 for the 10th season of the hit TV singing competition American Idol. According to Rickey.org, Naima sang George Gershwin's "Summertime" during the Top 24 (the girls' round airs on Wednesday, March 2, 2011).

Initial Thoughts:

According to judge comments, Naima was inconsistent during Hollywood Week. Nonetheless, they put her through. It's hard to judge because she seems to mainly have reggae-type stuff online and has not really been featured that much. Her last song, "Put Your Records On," really was not that good.

Many fans have taken to her unique style. This, however, has nothing to do with singing or performance. It may make someone cool, but "cool" has only won Idol if the cool part includes rearranging songs. There is no evidence to speak of that we have seen so far showing that Adedapo is anything but a dancer who is trying to make it as a singer. Simply put, she is not unique or creative (from what we have seen).

Now, imagine what this dancer decides to do for her Top 24 performance. If you are thinking dance song, you would be wrong. No, she decides to essentially get herself compared to Fanasia by singing "Summertime." This is a truly nonsensical pick in every way imaginable.

There is no reason to think Naima should be doing anything but trying to be the best "performance artist" on the show. With her extensive dance background, she should be picking songs (surely the first week) that are going to allow her to move around and accentuate the style that people love about her. She is never going to be the best singer on the show, but picking "Summertime" is practically yelling at the fans to compare her to Fantasia, one of the best singers in the history of the show.

Prediction:

Naima may get through on early buzz, but she won't be around for long if she can't come up with a better strategy. While she probably won't get a Top 5 spot and automatic bid to the next voting round, Adedapo has a decent shot at getting picked as a wildcard.

Results:

This article will be updated after Naima sings "Summertime" not as well as Fantasia on the broadcast of Wednesday, March 2, 2011.

Naima has a cool dress that she designed by herself. She sounds like she desperately wants to be a star. Oops, this version of "Summertime" is decent vocally but is too fast. It lacks emotion. Even when it gets slower, we can see that Naima does not have a particularly strong voice. It is just okay.

Jennifer claims she nailed the note at the end. That's not even true. Randy thought it was like a lounge act but said it was interesting by the end. Steven claims it was early Ella Fitzgerald, a horrible comparison. These guys are like X-Factor judges, praising average performances.

Sources:

Rickey.org Top 24 Spoilers