''Singapore Idol'' is a reality television singing competition created by
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK s ...
and produced by
MediaCorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...
Studios and
FremantleMedia
Fremantle (; formerly FremantleMedia) is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, acquired by predecessor company All American Television in ...
Operations BV. It began airing on
MediaCorp Channel 5
Channel 5 (Chinese: 五頻道) is a free-to-air, English-language television channel in Singapore. Owned by state broadcaster Mediacorp, it broadcasts general entertainment, news, and sports programming. The channel's logo is a big white number ...
on 9 August 2004, as an addition to the Idol franchise based on the UK show
Pop Idol
''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and par ...
, and became one of the most popular shows in the history of Singaporean television.
The concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists where the winner is determined by the viewers. Through telephone and SMS text voting, viewers have chosen as winners
Taufik Batisah
Muhammad Taufik bin Batisah ( Jawi: محمد تيوفيك بن بتيسه; born 10 December 1981) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter best known for winning the first season of the reality TV series ''Singapore Idol''.
Early life and education ...
,
Hady Mirza
Muhammad Mirzahady Bin Amir, also known as Hady Mirza ( ms, حدي ميرزا; born 28 January 1980) is a Singaporean singer.
He was the winner of the second season of the reality TV show '' Singapore Idol''. He was crowned the winner on 25 Sep ...
and
Sezairi Sezali
Sezairi Sezali (born 6 August 1987), more commonly known just as Sezairi, is a Malay Singaporean musician and singer-songwriter. Sezairi rose to prominence after winning the third season of ''Singapore Idol'' in 2009.
Sezairi signed with majo ...
.
The series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original four judges during season 1 were singer/songwriter
Dick Lee
Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director.
Early life
Lee was born to a Peranakan father, Lee Kip Lee, (who wrote for ''The Straits Times'') and his wife , Elizabeth Tan. He was th ...
, Florence Lian, record producer
Ken Lim
Ken Lim (born 1964) is a Singaporean concept & campaign manager, concerts & event promoter, established artiste manager, composer, music producer & publisher. He is the executive director of Hype Records.
Early life and career
Ken Lim runs on ...
and singer Douglas Oliverio. In season 2, all the judges from season 1 returned to the show except for Oliverio who was replaced by singer
Jacintha Abisheganaden
Jacintha Abisheganaden (born 3 October 1957), known professionally as Jacintha, is a Singaporean singer, actress, and theater practitioner who studied at the National University of Singapore and received a degree in arts, majoring in English li ...
. In season 3, Abisheganaden left the judging panel and the rest of the judges returned to the show. From the start, the show has been hosted by Singapore celebrity and funnyman
Gurmit Singh
Gurmit Singh Virk Chainchal Singh (born 24 March 1965; pa, ਗੁਰਮੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Gurmīt Siṅgh; ) is a Singaporean actor, comedian and television personality. He was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1994 to 2014. A f ...
. Radio deejay
Daniel Ong
Daniel Ong Ming Yu (; born 27 December 1975) is a Singaporean businessman, radio DJ and television host. He is the co-founder of Twelve Cupcakes, a Singapore-based cupcake chain. He also entered the eateries business with ''Mischief American ...
was the co-host of the show for season 2, while season 2 winner Hady Mirza replaced him as the co-host during season 3.
Season 1 (2004)
Season 1 of ''Singapore Idol'' premiered on the National Day of Singapore (9 August) in 2004. This season produced a few memorable, albeit notorious, performers during the audition round. They included Skyy Sia aka Bananaman, who wore a mask of watermelon and bananas; Kelvin Sim, who accompanied his very bad rendition of
Fool's Garden
Fools Garden (until 2003 known as Fool's Garden) is a German band formed in 1991 in the city of Pforzheim. The founders of the group and the only permanent members are vocalist Peter Freudenthaler and guitarist Volker Hinkel. In 1993, bassist ...
's "Lemon Tree" with a dance that rivalled that of
William Hung
William Hing Cheung Hung (; born January 13, 1983) is a Hong Kong motivational speaker and former singer who gained fame in 2004 as a result of his unsuccessful audition singing Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs" on the third season of the ...
; and Patrick Khoo, who literally whispered
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...
's "
Careless Whisper
"Careless Whisper" is a song written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Released on the 1984 Wham! album ''Make It Big'', the single release was credited either to ''Wham! featuring George Michael'' (in North America and several other count ...
".
As with other shows in the ''Idol'' series, the viewers' votes decide who goes on to the next round. This has always produced controversial results in every singing competition. In the third preliminary round, Jerry Ong, whose singing was described by judge Florence Lian as being "constipated" and "weak", was voted through to the finals, beating favourites Beverly Lim Morata and Nur "Nana" Hasanah, both of whom were thought to be better singers. Candice Foo, who got into the finals from the second preliminary round, withdrew from the contest at the last minute due to "financial difficulties". In a bigger upset, Jeassea K. Thyidor, considered by many to be a frontrunner in the competition, was eliminated in the very first round of the finals by a small margin of 200 votes. This sparked a brief, two-week anti-Jerry campaign that lasted until his elimination on 15 October 2004. In the final weeks of the Spectaculars, many speculated that
Olinda Cho
Olinda Cho Yu Yen (; born 24 May 1980) is a Singaporean singer, actress and entrepreneur.
Professional background
Cho emerged as the second runner-up of the first season of ''Singapore Idol'' in 2004, behind Sylvester Sim and Taufik Batisah.
...
, one of the most consistent performers, would go on to the Grand Finals with
Taufik Batisah
Muhammad Taufik bin Batisah ( Jawi: محمد تيوفيك بن بتيسه; born 10 December 1981) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter best known for winning the first season of the reality TV series ''Singapore Idol''.
Early life and education ...
, but
Sylvester Sim
Sylvester Sim (; born January 19, 1983) is a Singaporean singer.
Background
Sim contested in the first '' Singapore Idol'' talent contest in 2004 was placed second place behind Taufik Batisah. He is also known as Sly. He used to be part of the ...
, who had been in the Bottom Group more than anyone else, made it through instead in a upset.
In the final showdown held at the
Singapore Indoor Stadium
The Singapore Indoor Stadium, known exonymously as the Indoor Stadium, is an indoor arena located in Kallang, Singapore. It is within walking distance of the Singapore National Stadium, and collectively form a part of the wider Singapore Spor ...
on 1 December 2004, Taufik beat Sylvester with 62% of the votes to become the first Singapore Idol. The song both Taufik and Sylvester were required to sing was ''I Dream''. Both received recording deals from
Sony BMG
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
on the same day. Taufik's album, ''Blessings'', was released on 17 January 2005. Sylvester's album, ''
Take Flight'', was released on 8 April 2005. Another finalist,
Maia Lee, also released an album titled ''Emotionally Advised'' on 20 August 2005. Sylvester was granted a release from Hype Records in mid-2006 due to personal problems.
Daphne Khoo
Daphne Khoo (born 22 January 1987) is a Singaporean singer. She was a contestant in the first season of Singapore Idol, finishing up in fourth place (third runner up) during ''Asian Songs'' week. She was also host of Idol-on-Demand, an online p ...
also release her debut album 'Desperate' in 2008 and won Best Breakout Solo Artiste, and EP 'Wonderland' in early 2014.
Top 11 Weekly Song Themes
*Top 11 theme: Parents' Choice
*Top 9 theme: Rock 'N' Roll
*Top 8 theme: Live Disco
*Top 7 theme: Song by Favorite Singer
*Top 6 theme: Big Band
*Top 5 theme: R&B/Soul
*Top 4 theme: Asian Pop
*Top 3 theme: Movies and Musicals
*Top 2 theme: Judges' Choice, Contestant's Choice and Winner's Single
Finalists
(ages stated at time of contest)
Elimination Chart
Season 2 (2006)
Auditions for season 2 were held on 11 February 2006 at *Scape in
Orchard Road
Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...
and was extended twice due to overwhelming response – 12 February at the same location and 19 February in
Toa Payoh
Toa Payoh (, ta, தோ பாயோ) is a planning area and matured residential town located in the northern part of the Central Region of Singapore. Toa Payoh planning area borders Bishan and Serangoon to the north, the Central Water Catc ...
. The season premiered on 21 May 2006 with clips of the auditions.
Dick Lee
Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director.
Early life
Lee was born to a Peranakan father, Lee Kip Lee, (who wrote for ''The Straits Times'') and his wife , Elizabeth Tan. He was th ...
, Florence Lian and
Ken Lim
Ken Lim (born 1964) is a Singaporean concept & campaign manager, concerts & event promoter, established artiste manager, composer, music producer & publisher. He is the executive director of Hype Records.
Early life and career
Ken Lim runs on ...
returned as judges while Douglas Oliverio was replaced by
Jacintha Abisheganaden
Jacintha Abisheganaden (born 3 October 1957), known professionally as Jacintha, is a Singaporean singer, actress, and theater practitioner who studied at the National University of Singapore and received a degree in arts, majoring in English li ...
. After widespread criticism of his hosting abilities in season 1,
Gurmit Singh
Gurmit Singh Virk Chainchal Singh (born 24 March 1965; pa, ਗੁਰਮੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Gurmīt Siṅgh; ) is a Singaporean actor, comedian and television personality. He was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1994 to 2014. A f ...
was paired with
Daniel Ong
Daniel Ong Ming Yu (; born 27 December 1975) is a Singaporean businessman, radio DJ and television host. He is the co-founder of Twelve Cupcakes, a Singapore-based cupcake chain. He also entered the eateries business with ''Mischief American ...
as co-hosts for season 2. Season 1 fourth place finalist
Daphne Khoo
Daphne Khoo (born 22 January 1987) is a Singaporean singer. She was a contestant in the first season of Singapore Idol, finishing up in fourth place (third runner up) during ''Asian Songs'' week. She was also host of Idol-on-Demand, an online p ...
hosted Singapore Idol on Demand, an online subscription service that provided media downloads and exclusive footage of the show.
A day after the results for Piano Show No. 4 were announced, MediaCorp revealed that a computer glitch in the voting process had mistakenly sent Mathilda D'Silva into the top 12, instead of Nurul Maideen. Mathilda was placed in the wildcard show and was subsequently voted into the finals via the Wildcard. Shortly after the technical glitch fiasco, frontrunner and wildcard contestant Meryl Joan Lee announced her withdrawal from the competition to focus on her studies.
The Top 12 finalists were housed in Hangout @ Mount Emily, a
budget hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
, for as long as they remained in the competition. Once the contestant is eliminated on the results night, he/she will head back immediately to Mount Emily to pack up his/her belongings and head back home.
Every Wednesday from 12 July 2006 until the Grand Finale, the Idols competed in the Spectaculars, with a specific theme every week, for instance "No. 1 Hits" and "British Invasion". On the following day (13 July 2006), "Singapore Idol Extra" showed viewers behind-the-scene footage of Singapore Idol. During the Results show later, viewers were entertained with a live group performance, a music video of the Idols and guest appearances.
The Final Showdown for the title featured Jonathan Leong and Hady Mirza singing three songs each at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Due to the frequency jam that took place in the first season, the finals was held on 2 separate days; the performance show on 24 September at 8:00pm, and the results show on 25 September at 8:00pm. One of the songs which both contestants sang was "You Give Me Wings", which became the winner's first single. On 25 September 2006, 26-year-old
Hady Mirza
Muhammad Mirzahady Bin Amir, also known as Hady Mirza ( ms, حدي ميرزا; born 28 January 1980) is a Singaporean singer.
He was the winner of the second season of the reality TV show '' Singapore Idol''. He was crowned the winner on 25 Sep ...
was declared the winner of Singapore Idol 2006 with about 70% of the votes cast. Hady's self-titled debut album was released in mid-November 2006. Hady would then go on to compete in
Asian Idol
''Asian Idol'' is a reality singing competition, which featured winners of ''Idol'' competitions from six Southeast and South Asian countries consisting of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam. Part of the '' Idol fra ...
and become the first Asian Idol on 16 December 2007 in an upset victory.
Top 12 Weekly Song Themes
*Top 12 theme: Parents' Choice
*Top 11 theme: #1 Hits from 1996–2006
*Top 10 theme:
Classic Jazz
*Top 9 theme: Songs by British Singers/Bands
*Top 8 theme: Home, Family and Friends
*Top 7 theme:
Rock 'N' Roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
*Top 6 theme: Asian Pop
*Top 5 theme: R&B and Soul
*Top 4 theme: Judges' Choice
*Top 3 theme: Contestant's Favourites
*Top 2 theme: Contestant's Choice from Judges' List, Spectaculars Encore & Winner's Single
Finalists
(ages stated at time of contest)
Elimination Chart
Season 3 (2009)
On 15 December 2008, MediaCorp mentioned in its free-circulating-paper,
TODAY
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now''
* Current era, present
* The current calendar date
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
, that Singapore Idol Season 3 would be one of the new programmes for 2009. The third season comes three years after the previous.
Registration for Singapore Idol 3 officially started on 1 May 2009, and the season premiered right after the
National Day Parade segment on 9 August 2009, 8:30 pm on Channel 5, with subsequent episodes on Wednesdays at 8:00pm from 12 August.
Returning host
Gurmit Singh
Gurmit Singh Virk Chainchal Singh (born 24 March 1965; pa, ਗੁਰਮੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Gurmīt Siṅgh; ) is a Singaporean actor, comedian and television personality. He was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1994 to 2014. A f ...
co-hosted with Singapore Idol 2 winner
Hady Mirza
Muhammad Mirzahady Bin Amir, also known as Hady Mirza ( ms, حدي ميرزا; born 28 January 1980) is a Singaporean singer.
He was the winner of the second season of the reality TV show '' Singapore Idol''. He was crowned the winner on 25 Sep ...
, replacing Season 2's
Daniel Ong
Daniel Ong Ming Yu (; born 27 December 1975) is a Singaporean businessman, radio DJ and television host. He is the co-founder of Twelve Cupcakes, a Singapore-based cupcake chain. He also entered the eateries business with ''Mischief American ...
. The returning judges were
Dick Lee
Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director.
Early life
Lee was born to a Peranakan father, Lee Kip Lee, (who wrote for ''The Straits Times'') and his wife , Elizabeth Tan. He was th ...
, Florence Lian and
Ken Lim
Ken Lim (born 1964) is a Singaporean concept & campaign manager, concerts & event promoter, established artiste manager, composer, music producer & publisher. He is the executive director of Hype Records.
Early life and career
Ken Lim runs on ...
, with
Jacintha Abisheganaden
Jacintha Abisheganaden (born 3 October 1957), known professionally as Jacintha, is a Singaporean singer, actress, and theater practitioner who studied at the National University of Singapore and received a degree in arts, majoring in English li ...
leaving the show.
The Top 100 contestants were put up at
Orchid Country Club for a week of intense auditions and training. They were then reduced to a Top 76 for a group round, Top 54 for an Idol first where the contestants write and compose a duet and perform it, then the Top 40 of sang-off at
Caldecott Hill
Caldecott Hill is a private housing estate, located along Thomson Road in the Central Region of Singapore. It is tied to the growth of the media industry in Singapore.
In the past, Singapore's broadcast station, Mediacorp was located there. Th ...
. Top 24 consisted of half the contestants (6 males and 6 females) performing each night on 2 separate Piano Shows for a spot in the Top 12. The Piano Show has no theme, and contestants can sing any song they want. The Results Show was screened 30 minutes after the Performance Show. Voting began at the start of the Piano round at 8:00 pm, and closed at 9:45 pm (later extended to 10:00 pm and finally to 10:15 pm). The Top 3 public vote-getters, regardless of gender, advanced together with 3 of the judges choices per episode. Coincidentally, in the piano shows, all the contestants who made it to the next round by public voting were male contestants. There was no Wild Card round for previously eliminated contestants, unlike the previous two seasons.
After the Top 12 was revealed during the second Piano Show results segment, the judges announced that Mae Sta Maria would join the 12 and form a surprise Top 13. The season has received mixed to negative feedback from fans due to the new rulings (absence of the Wildcard round, lack of a gender cap and voting beginning at the start of the show rather than at the end).
It was revealed on 14 September that MJ Kuok, who had gotten into the finals by public voting after Piano Show 1, had withdrawn from the competition on 11 September, citing "personal reasons". The news was confirmed in ''8 Days'' Magazine. He was then replaced by Nurul Huda from Piano Show 1. It was revealed that she had received the next highest number of public votes out of all the other eliminated contestants.
This season also introduced the "Judges' Save", similar to
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
Season 8
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...
, which could be used only when the judges unanimously decide to save an eliminated contestant up to and until the Top 5. The save was never used, when the judges decided not to save Faizal Isa, who was eliminated in 5th place. In retrospect, except for the Top 13 Results Show, where Gurmit explicitly asked the judges if they wanted to save Syltra Lee, the judges' save was hardly, if only briefly, mentioned.
Another first for the franchise was a surprise non-elimination round during the Top 4 Results Show on 25 November, similar to
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
Season 6
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
, although, unlike the American version where the bottom group was never revealed, Charles and Tabitha were first revealed to be the bottom two before they were announced as safe. Votes for that week were added to the following week's votes, with the contestant with the lowest-combined (Charles) being eliminated the following week.
The order for the final performance show was decided by a coin toss immediately after the Top 3 results show. Sylvia won and decided to go first. The Grand Finale, unlike Season 2, was not a two-night event. The performance was aired at 8:00 pm on 27 December 2009 and the results show at 10:00 pm on the same day. It was held at the
Singapore Indoor Stadium
The Singapore Indoor Stadium, known exonymously as the Indoor Stadium, is an indoor arena located in Kallang, Singapore. It is within walking distance of the Singapore National Stadium, and collectively form a part of the wider Singapore Spor ...
with a full capacity of 12,000. The special guest was international recording artist
Charice
Jake Zyrus (formerly known under the mononym Charice; born 10 May 1992) is a Filipino singer and television personality.
In 2007, after some appearances on Philippine television, Zyrus sang on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and the followin ...
where she performed 3 songs which included her first single
Note to God
"Note to God" is a song written by Diane Warren and first recorded by American R&B singer JoJo in 2006 for her album '' The High Road''. "Note to God" is partly an emotional prayer. The lyrics are composed of things that would be written in a le ...
. The Singapore Idol stage will be torn down from the MediaCorp TV Theatre permanently thereafter.
This season was abound with controversy. During the Top 8 and 7, while the judges claimed both nights as "girls' nights", the girls filled up the bottom groups. This resulted in extensive media promotion for the females left in the competition, and the idea of a female idol was fuelled by both the judges and the episodic trailers. However, the last male standing in the Final 3,
Sezairi Sezali
Sezairi Sezali (born 6 August 1987), more commonly known just as Sezairi, is a Malay Singaporean musician and singer-songwriter. Sezairi rose to prominence after winning the third season of ''Singapore Idol'' in 2009.
Sezairi signed with majo ...
, still ultimately won, receiving 61% of the votes cast in the finale. While Sylvia became the first female to make it to the finals, Sezairi's win makes all three Singapore Idol winners young
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
males.
Piano Shows
Group 1
* Group performance: "
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It wa ...
"
Nurul Huda was originally eliminated but was invited back to the competition as a replacement of MJ Kuok, who withdrew from the competition after being voted into the top 13 by the public.
Group 2
* Group performance: "
Burnin' Up"
Spectacular Shows
Top 13 – Chart Toppers
* Group performance: "
I Don't Care"
Top 12 – The Year I Was Born
* Group performance: "You Give Me Wings"
Top 11 – An Asian Feast
Top 10 – A Tribute to
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
* Group performance: "
Black or White
"Black or White" is a single by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 11, 1991, as the first single from Jackson's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Jackson wrote, composed, and produced it w ...
"
On the results show, the "bottom two" was not announced. Gurmit Singh first revealed that Charles, Nurul and Malaque were in the "bottom three". Gurmit then eliminated Nurul immediately and the other contestant which was in the "bottom two" together with Nurul was not revealed.
Top 9 – For Someone Special
This week, the contestants each perform a song to dedicate to somemore in their life (e.g. friend, family member etc)
* Group performance: "
Just Stand Up!
"Just Stand Up!" is a song performed by an all-star female charity supergroup of pop, R&B, rock, and country artists during the telethon "Stand Up to Cancer". The group was purposely billed as Artists Stand Up to Cancer to the public. The song ...
"
On the results show, no "bottom three" was announced as the voting results were announced in "random order". Gurmit Singh announced the safe contestants one by one. After Sylvia, Faizal, Malaque, Duane, Tabitha and Sezairi were announced as safe, Charles, Mae and Amira were the last three remaining. Gurmit Singh then eliminated Amira immediately. Charles and Mae were not necessarily among the bottom three vote-getters that week.
Top 8 – Mambo Mania
* Group performance: "
Just Can't Get Enough"
Top 7 – My Folks Love This
This week, the contestants perform a song selected by their parents.
* Group performance: "
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and ...
"
Top 6 – Killing Me Softly (with This Song)
* Group performance: "
Boys and Girls"
Top 5 – You Asked for It
The contestants are each given a list of songs chosen by the public (a different list for each contestant). They each chose a song from their list to sing.
* Group performance: "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album ''The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was rel ...
"
On the results show, the "bottom two" was not announced. Gurmit Singh first revealed that Charles and Tabitha were in the "bottom three". Gurmit then eliminated Faizal immediately and the other contestant which was in the "bottom two" together with Faizal was not revealed.
Top 4 (first week) – A Song for a Cause
In this week, being a week before
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The acquired immun ...
, the contestants each sing compose their own songs to perform as well as a cover song to play their part for charity.
On the results show, Gurmit Singh first revealed that Tabitha and Charles were in the "bottom two". However, the two contestants were then declared safe together with Sylvia and Sezairi and no one was eliminated. Gurmit Singh stated that it was a surprise non-elimination round and votes for that week would be carried over to the following week. The contestant with the lowest combined votes over the two weeks would be eliminated the following week.
Top 4 (second week) – Step Up and Dance!
* Group performance: "
Dance Floor Anthem (I Don't Want to Be in Love)
"Dance Floor Anthem (I Don't Wanna Be in Love)", known as "Dance Floor Anthem" on the album, is a song by American pop punk band Good Charlotte on their fourth studio album, '' Good Morning Revival'' (2007). The song became the band's best-sellin ...
"
Top 3 – Judges' Choice
Top 2 – Favourite Performance / Contestant's Choice / Winner's Single
* Group performance: "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album ''The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was rel ...
" / "
Bad Romance
"Bad Romance" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), ''The Fame Monster'' (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). Gaga wrote and produced the song with RedOne. Following an illegal ...
" / "
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song feature ...
"
Elimination chart
Post-Idol
Of the 13 Finalists, only the Top 3 contestants have continued to remain in the public eye.
Sezairi Sezali
Sezairi Sezali (born 6 August 1987), more commonly known just as Sezairi, is a Malay Singaporean musician and singer-songwriter. Sezairi rose to prominence after winning the third season of ''Singapore Idol'' in 2009.
Sezairi signed with majo ...
and
Sylvia Ratonel
Sylvia Anne Ratonel (born 14 June 1988) is a Singaporean singer and spokesmodel. She is most popularly known as the first female finalist in ''Singapore Idol'' history as well as being the runner-up of the third season. The show launched her ca ...
have released their debut studio albums, ''Take Two'' and ''Sylvia Ratonel'' respectively. Singles were released from the album and have made it into the Top 10 on the
987FM Top 20 Chart, with the best-performing single being Sylvia Ratonel's "It's Raining" (it peaked at #3). While
Tabitha Nauser
Tabitha Nauser (born 23 February 1992) is a Singaporean singer.
Nauser was born to a Swiss father and a Singaporean Indian mother. In 2009, Nauser placed third in the third edition of ''Singapore Idol''.
In 2017, Nauser's song “Bulletproof” ...
has not released an album, she collaborated with international artists
Sean Kingston
Kisean Paul Anderson (born February 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Sean Kingston, is an American-Jamaican singer and rapper. He is known for his hit songs " Beautiful Girls", "Fire Burning", " Take You There", and his collaboration wit ...
,
Steve Appleton,
Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Hilda Mauboy (born 4 August 1989) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of ''Australian Idol'', where she was runner-up and subseq ...
and
Jody Williams
Jody Williams (born October 9, 1950) is an American political activist known for her work in banning anti-personnel landmines, her defense of human rights (especially those of women), and her efforts to promote new understandings of security i ...
on the official theme song to the
2010 Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...
, "Everyone". Nauser was given the opening lines of the first verse, and her vocals can be heard harmonising with the other artists in the choruses and bridge. The song was released as a CD single, which included an acoustic version of "Everyone" performed by Nauser alone. Successful airplay of the song made "Everyone" reach No. 1 on the 987FM Top 20 Chart, making Tabitha Nauser the first Singaporean vocalist, at least in recent years, to achieve that feat. "Everyone" remained on the top spot for 2 weeks.
Criticism
Singapore Idol has been criticised for a lack of talented contestants. The most prominent is Joakim Gomez in Season 2 for being criticized by the judges and overstaying in the competition. The third season of Singapore Idol was particularly noted for an insupportable budget. Live performances relied solely on solo performances by the contestants, without any performance choreography, backup dancers,
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
or other spectacular theatrical effects. During seasons 1 and 2, all of the female finalists were eliminated before reaching the final 2. The highest a female finalist reached was third place by
Olinda Cho
Olinda Cho Yu Yen (; born 24 May 1980) is a Singaporean singer, actress and entrepreneur.
Professional background
Cho emerged as the second runner-up of the first season of ''Singapore Idol'' in 2004, behind Sylvester Sim and Taufik Batisah.
...
in Season 1 and Jasmine Tye in Season 2. These records were broken in Season 3 when
Sylvia Ratonel
Sylvia Anne Ratonel (born 14 June 1988) is a Singaporean singer and spokesmodel. She is most popularly known as the first female finalist in ''Singapore Idol'' history as well as being the runner-up of the third season. The show launched her ca ...
made it to the Final 2 along with
Sezairi Sezali
Sezairi Sezali (born 6 August 1987), more commonly known just as Sezairi, is a Malay Singaporean musician and singer-songwriter. Sezairi rose to prominence after winning the third season of ''Singapore Idol'' in 2009.
Sezairi signed with majo ...
and was declared the Runner-up. During the third season, was abound with controversy. During the Top 8 and 7 results night in season 3, the judges claimed both nights as "girls nights", in which, the girls filled up the bottom groups. This resulted in extensive media promotion for the females left in the competition, and the idea of a female idol was fuelled by both the judges and the episodic trailers.
The show only produced a few recording artists and they had little influence over Singaporean pop culture, largely due to the predominance of
American pop
''American Pop'' is a 1981 American adult animated jukebox musical drama film starring Ron Thompson and produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. It was the fourth animated feature film to be presented in Dolby sound. The film tells the story of f ...
music and
K-Pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
.
References
External links
Singapore Idol Official Website*
{{Idol series
2004 Singaporean television series debuts
Idols (franchise)
Singaporean reality television series
Singaporean singing competitions
Television series by Fremantle (company)
2009 Singaporean television series endings
Non-British television series based on British television series
Channel 5 (Singapore) original programming