The judges predicted it. The fans wanted it. And finally, after some agonizing moments, Farah, Daniel and Tricia get the votes and are through to the spectaculars.
It all began with suspense at 10:00pm when the live show started. Jien and Cheryl quizzed the judges of their pick, and all three were united in their choice for the top three.
The first bunch called to the front was Intan, Farah, Yasir, Daniel and Farish. From this, Farah and Daniel were announced as the lucky two who made it through. Daniel had probably expected the spot but Farah was visibly surprised and touched by her fans who voted for her. Then the last spot pitted Trish against Kash and Aesar. When Trish was announced as the winner of that round, the audience, made up heavily of her friends and family, burst into thunderous applause.
At the press conference, Farah admitted she never expected to make it through. Trish said she did not expect to go far in the competition. ：It・s surreal. I・m still absorbing it,； Trish added. However, both girls also expressed sadness that they would be losing some of the friends they・ve made in the batch.
On the single that she has once recorded, Farah said that she did not consider herself an artiste just because she already had a single out a few years ago as all her efforts to record an album has been futile. So to her, Malaysian Idol is a great opportunity to break into the industry.
On the factors that won them berths in the finals, Daniel suggested that perhaps fans liked his unique voice. Trish did not know why fans voted for her. To her, she was just being herself and that was most important. Farah had earlier thought that many of the contestants would be singing in Malay. So she decided to sing an English song to stand out and showcase her vocal prowess. The gamble paid off.
For Aesar and Yasir, this was their second attempt at Malaysian Idol glory. Last year, Aesar made it to the top 75 while Yasir was in the top 100. Will there be a third time? ：No,； Aesar said matter-of-factly. ：To me, everyone who has made it to top 24 has won. They already have exposure and now it is up to us to utilize it. So I will not be trying again next year.； Yasir was not too sure about competing again. To him, next year is a long time. In the meantime, he figured he would focus on other talent competitions.
When Daniel was asked about comparisons between him and last year・s Mr. Popular, Vick, Daniel said the only reason comparisons were made is that they were both Chinese. To him, there・s no need to try to differentiate, as he will just be himself.
Another reporter asked Yasir the sensitive question of his personality and how it affected voting. Without missing a beat, Yasir replied that people probably assumed that men like him can・t go far and so never bothered to vote for him. But he doesn・t mind and it will not break his spirit. The other seven broke into applause at Yasir・s upbeat response.
When it was suggested that his looks help Daniel score points, Daniel smilingly replied that looks, like voice, is God given, so it is up to each individual to appreciate and make use of it.
The remaining five were still unaware of their status for the wildcard round but they certainly had no plans to give up yet. Aesar felt that the judges・ comment of him overdoing everything in his performance might not be fair as that was naturally his style. He would like a chance to showcase his style of singing and prove he can go further if he is picked for Wildcard. Kash on the other hand quips, ：Actually, I don・t know why I chose that song (Belaian Jiwa). If I・m selected, I・ll do an English song that suits me.；
Farish expressed hope that as the judges had seen their progress since the Audition stage, they would base their Wildcard choice on those who showed potential, and not just how they fared in the Workshop. If given another chance, Intan feels all she has to do is fine-tune her singing. On the other end of the spectrum, Yasir thinks he would carry a traditional song if given a second chance. The idea is to stand out, and he feels if he were the only one singing a traditional number, he would stand a chance.
As for criticism, most of them felt that what the judges said could be used to improve themselves as the judges have years of experience behind them. They also agreed that whatever mean things that were said were very likely to be for the camera, so they don・t take it to heart. However, Daniel acknowledged that he has not really ：kena tembak； from the judges, so he is thankful.
When asked what were their plans if their journey comes to an end, Farish chipped in, "Back to position!" He will be looking for another job in multimedia design. At the end, all eight remained cheerful, upbeat and happy for each other. It was a great show; friendships were made and clearly will remain long after the competition is over.
For now, the 15 contestants who did not make the cut will ponder their fate for the Wildcard round. To see who makes it, tune in to 8TV this Friday night 9.30pm for a LIVE recording of the Wildcard show!
Source: Malaysianidol.com.my
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