We previously saw Northwestern’s own John Park on last week’s American Idol. Well, for about two seconds. Throughout the whole show, where the judges whittled down contestants to the top 24, we kept seeing a flash of the Weinberg junior, holding onto his face in what seemed like shock. Then we didn’t even get to see his full reaction — he was just one face in a sea of unrecognizables. The only time we’ve even heard him sing was at his first audition, where he got hit on by Shania Twain and dubbed by a North by Northwestern writer as a “one-man swoon platoon.”
Wednesday night’s episode showcased the top 12 guys, actually letting Park on screen for more than a few seconds. So how did he do?
In a nutshell, he did okay. It seemed like the contestants performed in order of their talent. And Park came in at number 8, sitting right on the border between the godawful and the pretty good. But because I (along with Northwestern as a whole) am firmly on Team Park, here’s what I liked:
- He had NU pride. Though he didn’t mention Northwestern, who could ignore his purple shirt choice?
- He was funny. He basically proposed to Shania Twain in his intro video, saying, “If she would marry me, I would propose to her. You think I’m joking. I’m not.” Good call, as she basically secured him a slot in the top 24.
- He took a risk. In a sea of cheesy pop-rock, he knocked it out of the park (see what I did there?) with the jazzy standard “God Bless the Child.” It was a risky choice, but I think he got to show off his “lower end” with style. Though his vocal performance was strong, the judges weren’t feeling the song choice. Frankly, I disagree — it made him stand out.
Overall, Park needs to put in some work to gain the judges’ favor. Here’s what he should do better, should he make it to next week.
- Come out of the a capella closet. On Facebook, one of my friends pointed out that Park kept doing the “a capella bop” in the background during other performances. And he totally did. Why not just go full Purple Haze next week? He should pick a song like the John Legend song he already has rocked with P-Haze, and get his bop on. It’ll not only give him more charm on stage, but it’ll also make him more viewer-friendly. At least Simon won’t call him a “copy of Michael Buble” again.
- Think of quips beforehand. Park seemed a little off when the judges slammed him, and kind of stammered through his explanation of his song choice. He said it meant a lot to him because of money? Just practice positive and negative responses in the mirror next time, to prepare for anything. Idol is nothing if not a popularity contest, and he needs to up the personality.
- Have more fun. Next time, he should move about the stage. Connect with his loving fans. Get over the stage jitters. Show everyone what Shania loved so much.
Tomorrow is the first results show, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Park. Because honestly, all I want is for him to make the top three, so the cameras can follow him to campus and create pandemonium.
John Mayer was corrected to John Legend. Thanks, commenter “NO” for pointing out the error.