He started off singing one 'Sunday Morning', then immediately went Straight Up from there, but he’s since lost some footing and is now trying to regain the swagger we all know he possesses. Yes, I’m talking about American Idol’s raspy swooner, Andrew Garcia. Or as many people already previously know him as - YouTube’s Andrew Garcia, or AJ Rafael’s amazingly talented singer-friend, Andrew Garcia. These days, however, he’s trying to make a name for himself all on his own.
Before making it onto the American Idol stage, Andrew Garcia was making his mark on the YouTube community by posting up infectious cover videos of himself singing – all of which have made their way into thousands of user’s ‘favorites’ section. Andrew Garcia is a product of the massive YouTube movement of talented, unsigned, acoustic singers who have all bonded together to carve out a humble place for themselves in the music scene in any way possible. Teaming up with his good friend, A.J. Rafael, who we’ve all become very familiar with, Andrew Garcia has made countless number of innovative and dynamic videos on YouTube that has amassed him quite a hefty following of fans. Whether it was through his collaborative efforts with prominent Pilipino-American YouTube artists, his better-than-the-original covers of popular songs, or his own brilliantly composed original music, Andrew Garcia has always given-off this natural vibe that he was meant for something greater – for true stardom.
For the thousands of fans who were already familiar with his work, was there really any doubt that this guy would succeed on American Idol? It always just seemed like he had that perfect ‘American Idol’ look, story, and, of course, voice. From the moment he sang the first note at the preliminary auditions, he immediately blew all of the judges away – including guest judge Katy Perry, known for being hot and then cold, who said ‘yes’ and not ‘no’ to Andrew and told him that she got chills listening to him sing. Randy, of course, said ‘dawg’ a million times, Kara was enraptured, and Simon called Andrew very likable. But it wasn’t until Hollywood week that Andrew Garcia officially became a household name nationwide.
As we all know (thanks to the judges who have been reminding us every single week – get over it though), Andrew tore the house down during Hollywood week when he presented his edgier version of Paula Abdul’s super cheesy song, Straight Up, and effectively set his own watershed mark of the season which, for better or for worse, has remained with him in spite of every new song he sings. By the judge’s standards, his past three performances in the top 24 have been sub-par and ‘trying too hard to be unique’. And maybe he is thinking a little too much, but one has to believe that the real Andrew Garcia will eventually surface and take a firm grip on the competition. No doubt about it, Straight Up was so raw, so infectious, and just so naturally groove-worthy. It reminded me of Kris Allen’s own amazing rendition of Kanye West’s Heartless last year - the performance, which I think sky-rocketed him to the win at the very end. Should Andrew have saved that performance for a more crucial point down the road in the competition? Maybe, but if one looks back on any number of his numerous past videos on YouTube, it’s almost impossible to think that Andrew won’t eventually find his way out of Straight Up’s shadows and concoct an even more ingenious and eclectic song remix that will effectively supplant him as a major American Idol final contender.
Here's one of Andrew's original songs to remind people of just how talented he truly is:
His previous YouTube stardom and his ability to remain in the competition over more consistent contestants has caused somewhat of a controversial stir in the internet community, as many believe that his previous reputation (YouTube and Straight Up) is what’s kept him alive thus far. But if you ask me, this is only more reason for his YouTube family to back him up even mor,e and continue to encourage him despite some shaky performances at times.
He may not be Pilipino, but his connection to the Pilipino-American community is undeniable and forever inseparable; his girlfriend, Christine Concepcion is Pilipina, and their cute little son, of course, half Pinoy as well. But, that’s beside the point, because in the end, we all just want to see someone who we’ve grown to love and who many of us have been following from the start succeed and reach his full potential. As Andrew embarks on his journey into the Top 12 and beyond (hopefully), let’s ride that wave with him and continue to help push him forward in his quest to make it mainstream. His success could ultimately open the doors even further for many of the other minority, underground artists on YouTube that we’ve all come to avidly follow.
So watch Andrew rock the mic on American Idol this week as part of the final 12 and don’t forget to vote! Something tells me we haven’t 'heard' the last of Andrew Garcia just yet. Obviously.
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