Singapore Idol Top 10 : Nurul Huda

Nurul Huda, 21

5 November 1987

Single

updated : 10 Oct 09

Spectacular 4 : A Tribute To Michael Jackson

Performing : Ben

Fave MJ Song : Earth Song

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

MJ Week Interview :

If you had 1 minute with MJ, what would you say/do?

I would just look him in the eyes and stare at him. Yes, stare at him for a whole minute, cos I can't do anything else its so unbelievable that he's there.

If you had 1 hour with him, what would you do?
Have a deep conversation with him. Ask him about his career, his transformation from child star to adult star, his life, how he copes with everything. I'd also ask him for advice and tips.

If you had 1 day with him, what would you do?
We'll go out makan! I heard he likes KFC, so we'll go eat that - that's cool. Just spend the day together, walking around, stroll along Malibu beach and town and just talk.

Did you believe the child molestation allegations?
No, not at all. It's just people trying to bring him down. Things like this always happens to good people.

When you first heard that there would be an MJ themed spectacular, what was your reaction? And now that you’re through and will be doing an MJ song, how do you feel?
First reaction : Happy. Its a privilege to sing Michael Jackson songs. And right now, people are thinking about him because he has just passed away, so its timely for us to be doing this. It gives us a chance to project our condolences.

Now : I'm very excited! It will be my first time singing a slow song in this competition.

What will you be singing and why did you choose to do that MJ song?

I will be singing Ben. Eventhough I had said Earth Song is my favourite song, but its not really a competition song. I chose Ben because I really don't want to lose my personality, I feel I can relate to Ben. Its a cute song, and I'm kinda cute. It's about a pet rat, and eventhough I'm grown up, I still have a tamagotchi, so its like I also have a pet. I'm confident I can do this song well, I think I can pull it off.

Spectacular 3 : An Asian Feast

Performing : Made In India by Alisha

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

Asian Week Interview :

Who is your favourite Asian artiste?

Ramli Sarip! I love his husky voice, its like we have something similar!

Who's the sexiest Asian star in your opinion?

Rini from Indonesian Idol!

Who is your favourite Asian person?

Zubir Said. He wrote the National anthem! :)

Favourite Asian food?

Nasi Lemak <--- woot!

Favourite Asian destination?

Mt Fuji, Japan. Since I was a little girl I've always wanted to go to Japan.

What Asian culture fascinates you the most?

Indian culture, especially Holi which is a day where they celebrate colour. Basically you dress up in white and get coloured when people throw paint and other colourings at you. By the end of the day, you should be covered in various colours.

What Asian trait are you most proud of?

Our nice hair, beautiful eyes and beautiful skin tone.

What is the one Asian superstition you've held on to since you were a child?

Cannot walk under people's laundry, its bad luck!

And always say a prayer before going to the loo!

Random facts about Nurul :

• She only really started singing 2 years ago when a friend suggested she enter a 'Rihanna' sing-alike contest and won (and got to meet Rihanna in person! Woot!)
• Has a keen fashion sense and always manages to wear funky outfits.
• Is a huge Taufik Batisah fan.
• Loves crackin' jokes.

summerr thinks you'll love Nurul because :

She has husky vocals that turns each songs he sings into a sexy song! Plus she's really good at changing up the arrangement to make the song her own, case in point, tonight's performance of this Brit Brit song will be different enough to give it an edge.

As a last minute replacement for MJ Kuok (he has withdrawn from the competition), Nurul had a lot of catching up to do at key checks, wardrobe, vocal training, shoot preparation and special choreo for the trailer shoots! Phew! Lucky Nurul is a fast learner :)

Here's the vid that Izked recorded after the Top 13 announcement was made that MJ had left.

Here's the vid I shot of herlast week during key check...

And last but least, check out Nurul's Piano Show performance and her Idol journey thus far.

Want more Nurul? Check out her Top24 Profile here for more Nurul...

Find Nurul Online :

Nurul's facebook fanpage

xoxo, s.

Singapore Idol Top 10 : Tabitha Nauser

Tabitha Nauser

23 February 1992

Single

updated : 10 Oct 09

Spectacular 4 : A Tribute To Michael Jackson

Performing : Who's Lovin' You

Fave MJ Song : Black Or White

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

MJ Week Interview :

If you had 1 minute with MJ, what would you say/do?
I’d give him a long hug!

If you had 1 hour with him, what would you do?
Ask him to teach me how to dance.

If you had 1 day with him, what would you do?
I wanna join him on his concert tour. How awesome that would be!

Did you believe the child molestation allegations?
Nope, not at all.

When you first heard that there would be an MJ themed spectacular, what was your reaction? And now that you’re through and will be doing an MJ song, how do you feel?
At first, I was really excited cos I’ve always wanted to do MJ. He’s the best performer ever, second only to Beyonce of course ;)
Now I’m thinking, I definitely don’t want to screw up the song. He’s a legend, so I will have to do the song justice and raise the standards. I’m gonna practice my hardest!

What will you be singing and why did you choose to do that MJ song?
I will be singing ‘Who’s Loving You’. Actually I wanted to sing ‘Black or White’ but it’s the group song. It was a tie between the two songs and since ‘Black or White’ isn’t available, I chose ‘Who’s Loving You’. I saw Shaheen Jafargholi sing it on Britain’s Got Talent and I fell in love with the song.

Spectacular 3 : An Asian Feast

Performing : Ting Hai by A*Mei

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

Asian Week Interview :

Who is your favourite Asian artiste?

Electrico!

Who's the sexiest Asian star in your opinion?

Rain - the abs...gasp! 'nuff said!

Who is your favourite Asian person?

Taufik Batisah. I like that he knows what he wants and goes for it!

Favourite Asian food?

Sushi. Especially Sashimi!

Favourite Asian destination?

Nepal - it's so beautiful. I really wanna go there.

Maldives - the sand is so white and the water is so blue!

What Asian trait are you most proud of?

Our politeness. We're generally not hurtful. Unlike most Western cultures who will just tell it to your face, we exercise a bit more tact.

What is the one Asian superstition you've held on to since you were a child?

My Mom always said, 'Never cross over (step over) anyone's legs or you won't be able to grow any taller!' <-- omg is that why I'm so short?!

Random facts about Tabitha :

• Tabby blanks out, like literally sometimes, then snaps back to reality and will have totally not heard what you just said to her - it sound bimbo but its actually quite funny!
• She loves to eat.
• Her dad has got George Clooney hair! People in the audience were staring at him as he and Mrs Nauser sat right up front - they thought they'd seen Clooney!
• Is an amazing singer - she can SOooo do Beyonce as can be seen in the youtube vid where she sings 'Emotions' (Destiny's Child). And I think she's the only one in this competition who really can handle Beyonce songs.
• Stars in the 'Broom & Mop' show with schoolmate Farhan Shah (Tabby's the mop by the way) on YouTube.

summerr thinks you'll love Tabitha because :

She's got an amazing voice and she knows how to use it. She's also beautiful. Tabby's the kind of girl that's so gorgeous, you can't stop looking at her face. She's probably used to people staring at her.

Tall, statuesque even, (she has the best posture out of all the girls in Idol), she carries herself with a grace that belies her young age. But once you get talking to her, she's chatty and unrestricted (read : blonde moments).

But I hope people will see beyond the pretty face and really appreciate her vocals because this is where she really really shines. Powerhouse is the word.

This vid was shot by Izked right after she got into the Top 13.

This vid was recorded by me at last week's choreo session - sample of what she'll be singing tonight.

And last but not least, a look at Tabby's Idol journey thus far and her performance at the first Piano Show.

If you wanna know more about Tabitha, check out her Top24 profile here.

Find Tabitha Online :

Tabitha's facebook fanpage

xoxo, s.

Singapore Idol Top 10 : Faizal Isa

Faizal Isa, 17

29 February 1992

Single

updated : 10 Oct 09

Spectacular 4 : A Tribute To Michael Jackson

Performing : Billie Jean

Fave MJ Song : You Are Not Alone

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

MJ Week Interview :

If you had 1 minute with MJ, what would you say/do?
I would ask him like so many questions – at what age did you start singing? Can you teach me how to perfect my moon walk?

If you had 1 hour with him, what would you do?
Sing with him and then ask him for vocal and dance training.

If you had 1 day with him, what would you do?
Hang out with him! Go have breakfast, lunch and dinner with him. Take him shopping and show him around Singapore and be his tourguide. And along the way, ask him about how to overcome nerves on stage and sing better.

Did you believe the child molestation allegations?
I don’t really believe it cos the media can make things up. Lots of people are jealous of him and make up stories just to bring him down. I saw some videos of him on YouTube talking about this stuff, and MJ looks very sincere and he loves children from what I’ve seen.

When you first heard that there would be an MJ themed spectacular, what was your reaction? And now that you’re through and will be doing an MJ song, how do you feel?
When I first heard it, I felt very happy and honoured to get a chance to sing our late King Of Pop’s songs. He has made such a big impact on the music industry. So it’s a real honour, and I see it as a way to give back to MJ, our King Of Pop.

Now, I feel very excited and really looking forward to it. This is a very special theme, only this season we have this theme, (previous seasons of SI did not have an MJ theme) so its something different.

What will you be singing and why did you choose to do that MJ song?
I will be singing Billie Jean. I chose this song because its upbeat and I like to groove to it. I will work hard on both my vocals and my dance moves as I want to showcase them. I won’t be doing the song like David Cook style. I will be following MJ’s style all the way.

Spectacular 3 : An Asian Feast

Performing : Hapus Ku by Nidji

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

Asian Week Interview :

Who is your favourite Asian artiste?

Dato' Siti Nurhaliza.

Who's the sexiest Asian star in your opinion?

Coco Lee. She has a phD which means she is beauty and brains - that is SO sexy!

Who is your favourite Asian person?

Lee Kuan Yew. Because of him, Singapore is where it is today, a 1st world country that everyone knows. He put us on the world map.

Favourite Asian food?

Otak Otak!

Favourite Asian destination?

Japan, cos I want to experience Japanese culture and see all their interesting ethnic stuff!

What Asian culture fascinates you the most?

Japanese culture, because they are the most polite people I've ever seen. Also, I think Kimonos are cool.

What Asian trait are you most proud of?

Asians' respectfulness - toward elders and toward one another.

What is the one Asian superstition you've held on to since you were a child?

Do not open umbrellas indoors at night because you may get some spiritual disturbances! (I was told not to ever open umbrellas indoors because then snakes would come find us!)

23 Sept 09

Random facts about Faizal :

• Faizal is friends with hot local r&b duo Sleeq.
• Jason Mraz is his idol, but he's decided to distance himself from doing too many Mraz songs in case he gets labeled a wannabe.
• Faizal is super friendly and is known to start conversations with his fans.
• Has the most number of screaming fans so far at the 2 roadshows he's attended.
• Ken has told him to start a boyband with fellow Top13-er Farhan Shah. What would you call them? The Broom and Mraz?

summerr thinks you'll love Faizal because :

He's that boy-next-door that everyone loves. But I have to say, this pic, phwoar, he is lookin' good. Looks like an Idol to me. (I got a shock when I first saw him as Justin Timberlake - he looked great! I didn't think he would be able to pull it off!)

Eventhough he's young, it looks like Faizal has had loads of performing experience judging from the number of youTube vids he's got. Plus, on stage, he seems to embody that same bounce and stage presence as his 'possible predecessors' Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza.

You can't deny that the camera loves him though (just need to get rid of the pimples first - remember to always wash away the heavy stage makeup sweetie! Its toxic!!!).

Here's the vid Izked shot after Top 13 announcements.

And here's a recap of his Piano Show performance and his Idol journey thus far. I'm sorry but I didnt get to grab a sample of his song for tonight as he was sick the day I recorded the vids for the rest (he later came for Group choreo wearing a mask - so considerate! - but I'd already left by then!).

If you wanna find out more about Faizal, do check out his Top 24 profile here.

Find Faizal online :

Faizal's facebook fanpage

xoxo, s.

Singapore Idol Top 10 : Fathin Amira

Fathin Amira, 17

30 July 1992

Single

updated : 10 Oct 09

Spectacular 4 : A Tribute To Michael Jackson

Performing : You Are Not Alone

Fave MJ Song : I Can't Help It

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

MJ Week Interview :

If you had 1 minute with MJ, what would you say/do?
Smile and say ‘Michael! I wanna dance like you!’ and then dance for him J

If you had 1 hour with him, what would you do?
‘Michael, can you teach me how to dance?’

If you had 1 day with him, what would you do?
Spend the day at Neverland with him and ask him to give me a tour of the place.

Did you believe the child molestation allegations?
I totally don’t believe it. I believe MJ loves children. He believes in children and writes songs for them. Children are his inspiration. He wouldn’t do that to them.

When you first heard that there would be an MJ themed spectacular, what was your reaction? And now that you’re through and will be doing an MJ song, how do you feel?
Initially, I thought ‘OMG! This is my one chance to show off all my MJ stuff on a stage! Yes!’.
Now I’m just pretty much excited and looking forward to the performance. When we were young, my brother and I used to impersonate MJ’s moves, and now I get a chance to do it onstage? What? I’m so excited!

Spectacular 3 : An Asian Feast

Performing : Bakit Pa by Jessa Zaragosa

Asian Week Interview :

Who is your favourite Asian artiste?

Charice Pempengco. She's from the Philippines, and is only 17, but has a big, huge voice!

Who's the sexiest Asian star in your opinion?

Daeng Nurfaezah

Favourite Asian food?

Chicken Karaage (a type of Japanese fried chicken)

Favourite Asian destination?

Bali, Indonesia.

What Asian culture fascinates you the most?

As a Malay, I respect my culture, but the culture that fascinates me the most is the local Balinese culture. They are so very friendly and polite!

What Asian trait are you most proud of?

I like that Asians are generally very nice, respectful, humble and down-to-earth.

What is the one Asian superstition you've held on to since you were a child?

My grandma always used to tell me, when elders tell you NOT to do something, you should always listen, because they have an instinct that something may happen.

Random facts about Amira :

• Amira likes to sing in the bathroom. (Who doesn't? The accoustics are fab!
• She goes by the nickname 'shawty phat' online - aw what a cute nick.
• Has a thing for hairstyles. Amira likes experimenting. She's had the Shirley Temple curls, corn rows, cropped hair and something that looked a bit like an afro (from what I can see on facebook!).
• Has an awesome Facebook fanclub run by her incredibly enthuasiatic Aunt!
• Her dad is a well-known and established musician - free vocal coaching at home!
• Her facebook updates are crazy cryptic stuff that I still can't decipher (I'm thinking it must be the age gap thats stunting me.

summerr thinks you'll love Amira because :

She's a little Chillipadi Powerhouse. Petite and young, Amira is probably second only to Tabby in terms of 'belting' power.

I love her new look, but I hope she'll keep things young and leave the power ballads to Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. I prefer it when she plays up the youth card. Let's see what she does with Christina Aguilera's 'Hurt'. (see below vid clip for a sample)

This vid was recorded by Izked right after Top 13 was announced.

I recorded this sample of 'Hurt' last week at their choreo session.

Lastly, here's one more look at Amira's Piano Show performance and her idol journey thus far.

If you wanna know more about Amira, do check out her Top24 profile here.

Find Amira online :

Amira's facebook fanpage

Amira's YouTube channel

xoxo, s.

Singapore Idol Top 10 : Malaque Mahdaly

Malaque Mahdaly, 20

3 February, 1989

Single

updated : 10 Oct 09

Spectacular 3 : An Asian Feast

Performing : Rock With You

Fave MJ Song : You Are Not Alone

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

MJ Week Interview :

If you had 1 minute with MJ, what would you say/do?
I would just keep praising him, shower him with all the praises I can think of!

If you had 1 hour with him, what would you do?
Sit and have coffee with him and chat.

If you had 1 day with him, what would you do?
Go to his house and ask him to teach me how to be a performer who is at least HALF as good as him. I’ll ask him to train me.

Did you believe the child molestation allegations?
No, I don’t believe it. He cares so much about children, I don’t think he would have had the heart to do what they accused him of doing.

When you first heard that there would be an MJ themed spectacular, what was your reaction? And now that you’re through and will be doing an MJ song, how do you feel?
Initially, I was like, ‘Are you serious?!’ MJ songs are all hits, and at the end of the day, if I can’t pull it off, confirm I’m gonna get damn teruk comments! Its really a challenge, cos his songs are tough to sing and people will expect a certain level of performance (because its MJ). He’s everyone’s Idol!
Now I feel very nervous, but I’ll practice like crazy.

Spectacular 3 : An Asian Feast

Performing : Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Asian Week Interview :

Who is your favourite Asian artiste?

Agnes Monica (Indonesian artiste), cos she's a superstar yet she's so young. She has a great voice and this superstar attitude that lets her stand out. But her great personality allows people to relate to her.

Who's the sexiest Asian star in your opinion?

OMG Rain!

Who is your favourite Asian person?

Taufik Batisah (big big grin!)

Favourite Asian food?

Pad Thai!

(actually Malaque favours Western cuisine, but after some thought she came up with Pad Thai :))

Favourite Asian destination?

Korea - so I can meet Rain!

What Asian culture fascinates you the most?

Indian culture, because they are so colourful. They have lots of festivals and its all so colourful, not just their clothes, but also the huge variety of food!

Music is also in the Indian blood, they dance at every occasion. They have the 'groove' built in them. I also love their fashion - Bollywood fashion is like wow! Its fashionable yet they manage to keep their Indian 'traits'.

What Asian trait are you most proud of?

Asians have the BEST hair. Jet black hair is really beautiful.

What is the one Asian superstition you've held on to since you were a child?

My mom always tells me not to sing in the kitchen or I'll get a very very old husband.

Apparently, Malaque likes to sing while she cooks, so her Mom always nags at her for that.

Random facts about Malaque :

• An ex-contestants' mom told her that Malaque (if pronounced Ma-la-kee) means rubbish/nonsense in English (malarky)
• Had to learn how to tweet once she got into the Top 13 (I walked her through account sign up over the mobile!)
• Is a gourmet when it comes to the food she's preparing (she's studying to be a chef at Sunrice Academy) but when it comes to filling her tummy - she's always at Simpang Bedok.
• Her instructor just happens to be Tabby's dad who is a chef.
• Malaque was fat (gasp!)- so totally gorgeous now!

summerr thinks you'll love Malaque because :

She's a natural beauty with a great smile, and she can calm herself down and really let go tonight - she should be able to wow us with that great song choice of fast, slow and drama.

Malaque, like Tabby, is one of those girls who are just so pretty you can't help but stare. But the thing about Malaque is, she's also a big goofball who loves to laugh.

Here's the vid Izked recorded with her after she got into the Top 13.

Here's a quick sample of what she'll be singing tonight (recorded last week at choreo).

Its a pity that no one uploaded Malaque's piano show performance on youtube, so I can't share it with you (if you spot it, do let me know and I'll add it here). She sang Christina Aguilera's "A Voice Within" and garnered favourable reviews from Flo who thought she sang it with heart. Ken said her voice was ordinary.

Lets hope tonight's medley of fast and slow will change the judges' minds and show them that Malaque is anything but ordinary.

If you wanna know more about Malaque, click here for her detailed profile.

Find Malaque online :

Malaque's facebook fanpage

Follow Malaque on Twitter

xoxo, s.

Singapore Idol Top 10 : Duane Ho

Duane Russell Ho, 16

15 January 1993

Single

updated : 5 Oct 09

Spectacular 4 : A Tribute To Michael Jackson

Performing : The Girl Is Mine

Fave MJ Song : Human Nature

Voting details : Not available yet. Watch this space!

MJ Week Interview :

If you had 1 minute with MJ, what would you say/do?
Ask him to teach me how to do the moonwalk.

If you had 1 hour with him, what would you do?
Sing all his #1 hits with him.

If you had 1 day with him, what would you do?
I’ll follow him everywhere, follow his schedule and see what its like to live his life for a day.

Did you believe the child molestation allegations?
No, after his death all the truth slowly started coming out. Like, he didn’t bleach his skin. All this allegations is just media nonsense to make headlines.

When you first heard that there would be an MJ themed spectacular, what was your reaction?

And now that you’re through and will be doing an MJ song, how do you feel?
Actually MJ is not really my era. I only started listening to his songs from when American Idol did an MJ week theme. When I first heard about it, I was really excited because I remembered Matt Giraud’s piano version of MJ’s Human Nature. That performance had a big impact on me.
Now, I’m still excited and I’m hoping the performance will be more ‘me’. I’m singing a ‘boy’ song this week, so hopefully the judges will see more of ‘me’ in it.

What will you be singing and why did you choose to do that MJ song?
I will be singing ‘The Girl Is Mine’. I like the tune, its so uplifting and breezy. I tried to do Human Nature but it had too much adlibbing and so it didn’t work out. I haven’t decided whether to play the piano or not for next week.

Spectacular 3 : An Asian Feast

Performing : Dang Ni by Cyndi Wang

Asian Week Interview :

Who is your favourite Asian artiste?

Lucy Liu

Who's the sexiest Asian star in your opinion?

Lucy Liu (yes, we agree, she IS pretty hot!)

Who is your favourite Asian person?

Regine Velasquez (omg she is so pretty!)

Favourite Asian food?

Sushi! (in general, Japanese food!)

Favourite Asian destination?

Japan. So far I've only been to Osaka.

What Asian culture fascinates you the most?

Japanese culture because they are so amazingly patient and polite. There doesn't seem to be any rudeness in Japan!

What Asian trait are you most proud of?

Respect for elders. Western cultures don't really show this respect much.

What is the one Asian superstition you've held on to since you were a child?

Finish your food or you'll have an ugly wife

Random facts about Duane :

• Duane loves photography, almost as much as he loves Beyonce.
• Duane can do the super high octave scream/screech ala Mariah Carey
• Duane was a child actor for Channel 8 and Kids Central :)
• Is more kancheong about Idol than he is about his 'O' Levels.
• Is super shy about the fact that there are girls screaming his name at the roadshows (awwww).
• Is the baby of the Top 13, and everyone feels the need to protect and take care of him - in't that sweet?

summerr thinks you'll love Duane because :

He's like a big cute teddybear thats just so adorable when you meet him, then on stage...he starts to strut and does the 'bottle-pop' and you can't help but like the guy even more for his antics.

The minute the performance is over, he's back to shy, humble, awkward Duane.

Plus, the boy can actually sing. And from the buzz I hear, tonight's piano-accompanied performance of Pokerface is the most anticipated one - awesome!I'm definitely looking forward to see how he's gonna change it up.

In the meantime, here's a sample I got him to give me, PLUS, a full 'rehearsal' version that he did for Zaki at choreo. Bear in mind these were recorded last week, so he's probably improved leaps and bounds by now.

Lastly, here's the clip from his last performance at the Piano Show.

If you'd like to know more about Duane, check out his detailed profile here.

Find Duane online :

Duane's facebook fanpage

xoxo, s.