Fil-Am singer ends ‘American Idol’ journey
watching your confidence, man. Thank you for working so hard these past few months,” Bryan said.
Richie said, “Francisco, you are actually in the finals of ‘ American Idol’ and you earned it. And now your stage presence is even better than that. Congratulations! I’m so proud of you. Love you, man.”
Rounding it up, Perry said, “You deserve to be here. I saw you smiling in the screen. I mean if you could do that to an iPhone, imagine what you will do to a large crowd.”
In the second round, the prelaw college student performed his audition piece “Alaska” by Maggie Rogers, which the judges said back then made him the strong contender that he truly became this season.
“Oh my gosh, Francisco. The people outside the balcony really touched my heart. That’s so sweet!” Perry said at the end of his reprise, as the pop star s aw neighbors wa t c h i n g him from afar through the window.
“That perform a n c e was an elevated version of what you gave to us in the beginning. You’re so smooth when you delivered that. It sounded like it was professionally recorded in the studio somewhere. That’s how good it was, Francisco. Congratulations,” she enthused.
Bryan, for his part, said, “Man, I’m so proud to see you here. I’m so heartbroken that this is the last time we’ll get to hear you perform like this on ‘American Idol.’ I just know the sky is the limit for your career. Thank you so much Francisco.”
Finally, Richie said, “You know Francisco, my mother was an elementary school teacher and principal, and she always said to me, ‘What makes a great teacher is that you have great students.’ You have been a model student, my friend. You have taken all of our notes and every time I see you, I smile while you’re performing because you have delivered the goods on graduation day. God bless you man.”
Grateful
Despite losing, Martin has expressed profound gratitude for the experience of joining American Idol on his Instagram account.
“It’s been a journey. A ride. And an amazing experience overall. Still, I’ve got this smile on my face. I’ve grown so much as a human and as an artist throughout these few past months and I’ll never forget that. I’ve met a great deal of lifelong friends, unforgettable memories and have gained the support of all you beautiful souls,” Martin wrote.
“As a person dealing with anxiety, you’ve all accepted me for who I truly am and have supported me throughout all of it. Jeez I’m just so in love with all of you. To be able to have inspired many of you to follow their dreams is something I never thought would’ve happen in a million years.
“From the bottom of my heart, wherever you are, thank you so much. This is not the end but only a chapter that has come to a beautiful close. Thank you for riding alongside me on this journey. Hope you’re ready to travel with me onto the next chapter in life. There’s a ton of room, don’t be shy. Grab a seat (if you’d like to). See you soon loves,” he ended.
Martin is the latest FilipinoAmerican singer who went as far as the finals, in American Idol. Past Fil- Am contestants included Camille Velasco, Jasmine Trias, Jessica Sanchez and Malaya Watson.