Korean singer makes “American Idol” Top 10
Heejun Han, an American singer with South Korean roots, has charmed America with his sense of humor and pure voice en route to becoming the first East Asian to make the Top 10 of the popular American singing competition "American Idol."
In qualifying for American Idol season 11 Top 13, Han bested the semifinal placings of fellow Korean finalists Paul Kim (Season 6) and John Park (Season 9). John Park recently debuted in South Korea with critically acclaimed track "Falling."
Han, who was born in Gyeonggi, South Korea, took judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler by surprise with his take on Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You." After being complimented on his tone and control, Han was soon sent to Hollywood, where he was partnered with eventual fellow Top 13 contestant Phillip Phillips, Richie Law and Jairon Jackson. Despite the group's shaky performances of James Morrison's "Broken Strings" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" (performed in Las Vegas without Law, who was cut in Hollywood), Han's unique voice and amiable, self-effacing personality shone through. He was given a chance to sing for his life, and after Han's rendition of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" propelled him into the Top 25 semifinal round, America was given the opportunity to vote for him.
Thus far, it appears that America likes what it sees. Han's performance of Robbie Williams' "Angels" garnered him enough votes to rank among the top five boys, and he advanced to the Top 13. His initial performance, a decent performance of Stevie Wonder's "All In Love Is Fair," advanced him to Round of 12, in which he sang a low-key rendition of Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting." Whether Heejun will advance to the next round is really a big question mark, but this already is quite a victory for South Koreans, who are embracing Heejun gladly as one of their own. Alongside Filipino-Mexican Jessica Sanchez, Heejun Han is proudly representing the Asian-American community, and we are all the better for it.
Catherine Deen blogs for Yahoo! Philippines OMG! She lives, eats and breathes Korean music, cuisine, telenovelas, and pop culture. Follow her on Twitter @cathsdeen.
