Tonight on American Idol 2013 audiences were shocked by this week’s results when trailing contender Lazaro Arbos catapulted to the ranks of the Top 7’s top three. It was a startling result considering his weekly performances have been challenged by a shrinking field of incredible on-stage talent.
In his weekly performance review mentor Jimmy Iovine critiqued the Hopefuls saying it should be Lazaro going home if America got the vote right. Going from predicted elimination to the week’s top three singers is more than just an unexpected leap and a little hard to comprehend.
What is it that’s taking Lazaro to the top of the pile on American Idol? Are his performances really that great or is there something else at play here?
Let’s be honest. Lazaro is a good singer. We were all impressed with his audition. Then his story helped propel him to crowd favorite status. Now here we are weeks away from the season finale with some truly great talent and yet Lazaro continues to soar. He forgets the lyrics, misses the mark, and is even told to “get off the stage!” Those aren’t the traits of a dominating American Idol finalist. Instead it’s clear that we’re dealing with sympathy votes.
The judges lash out at him, he cries, the votes pour in. He forgets his lyrics, claims he didn’t have but a day to practice, Jimmy points out that’s a lie, and the votes pour in. At this point Lazaro’s best strategy is to do as poorly as possible to earn harsh criticism and earn heart-tugging votes.
Does Lazaro deserve to be in the top three this week? If America voted him there then yes, he earned it. Is Lazaro talented enough to be a top competitor and ahead of four other singers on that stage tonight? Absolutely not. Can Lazaro turn audience sympathy in to a trip to the American Idol finale? I wouldn’t be surprised in the least. Now as far as winning the whole thing, that’d be a true shocker.
What do you think is pushing Lazaro Arbos ahead in American Idol 2013? Did he deserve to be in this week’s top three seats?
No he did not. I think its the girly girls that think he’s cute and vote him through. He also depends on his handicap to get sympathy votes.
Honestly I don’t think it’s sympathy votes that is keeping him. He is not physically disabled! He just stutters when he talks. He is still there because he is cute. Voters of AI are still the same after all. They vote who is the cutest of them all …. Philip, Scotty, Kris and Lee. Remember?
I think the producers made a quite mistake here with Lazaro just because they think he doesn’t play a guitar he will not get girl votes but he is still cute for the young viewes out there, lol.
This “Sympathy” thing reminds me of Jasmine Trias way back in Season 3. Remember she went up to top three.. although she can also sing well like Arbos, their skills are not versatile and satisfying enough to get the crown. Although i love his last performance more than what Burnell did .
Why did she get sympathy votes? Does she have a handicap or medical condition?
oh she’s the youngest back then and Simon always makes her cry … as a result… more teenage girls at her age voted her … and she even surpass Jennifer Hudson in the rankings…
In addition to that, just like Arbos… Jasmine has a huge fan base back then… inviting all the people of Hawaii to vote for her… Arbos on the other hand has huge Hispanic fans which keeps him stay
I remember that she also had filipino blood and she was the first filipino american to get through idol that’s why most filipinos living in america back then power voted for her every week.
to compare Jasmine Trias to Lazaro is an insult to her talent and charisma…excuse me but she was far better singer…
Remember in one of the early shows of the top 10? The one where they said Angie got all those votes from Florida? Then they said Lazaro had even more votes then Angie? Those aren’t sympathy votes, folks, it’s the Cuban and Hispanic fans keeping him in. He is very appealing in looks, dresses cute and has a smile that is killer. Watch him when the cameras are showing the contestants while they are waiting for the next contestant moving on. They are all sitting concerned. He is sitting there smiling towards the camera. I am sure he has been told to play the camera because the camera loves him. He is a decent singer and has something special about him. He just doesn’t have the amazing voice of those women at the top. We’ll have to see but I am positive that if he isn’t named to leave next week, those judges will use their vote to save whichever woman was supposed to be voted off.
I agree with you 100%. Lazaro is appealing to the eyes! I like his outfit most of the time and the way he smiles. I don’t really agree with the sympathy thing here. Burnell may sound better than him but Lazaro beats him in the stage presence department. After all, this show is not a pure singing competition.
Idol is about the contestant’s singing ability and stage presence, but a person does not get into the competition by modeling clothing. It’s the ability to sing a song by convincing the judges that they can carry a tune and have their own unique sound. During the auditions, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone turned away because of wardrobe or not moving around the room enough. Messing up the lyrics does get the attention of the judges, though, and not in a good way.
Im hispánica And i Love him!!! His courge is Huge!! He’s represent Hispanic well and we are pround of him and talent!! Just by beening on the show he is a star!!! I don’t feel pity for him at all!! I admire him!!! That’s an idol!!!!!!!!!!
What the fuck did you just say? People like you are the reason Lazaro is getting through on absolutely everything BUT musical talent.
Not much sense in being rude like that because of someone else’s opinion just because you don’t agree.
I agree. The only thing is that he needs to have his comfort back and do his best performing, trying to push himself if he wants to make the finale. I disagree with Jimmy. I love Lazaro bc he is so talented, he just needs a little help to do his best. But I will keep voting for him no matter what..And people should stop saying about sympathy votes, cause we are voting for him because he is a decent singer, that is all..
you didn’t say amazing singer, great singer not even good singer! you said decent! haha shows how you REALLY feel…. no matter, he still does not need to win or be in the finale because no offense but they are waaaay more talented than him that deserve to be in the finale because they have proving themselves. i do agree that he needs some help to do his absolute best and prove himself.
all of that is true, but don’t forget this is a singing competition and there are waaaay more talented contestants than him.
they are*
This is a singing competition, not a race war or a pitty party. He does not have the talent to be on this show, especially still being there over burnell… WTF!
yup thats what i said. the judges will use their save on the female singers. IF it so happens that lazaro isn’t the one to go home.
I like my lazaro! But his votes are out of sympathy!! He is no match for the talent left in the competition!! He needs to do something drastic and good….he is getting boring!!!
He was a great addition to the show for a while, but it is past time for him to go home now.
I think Nick Boddington is more deserving than him to be in the top 10. just an opinion
I agree! Nick is a great talent and did an outstanding job during his time on Idol. Could not believe it when he was eliminated. I miss his voice so much.
Come on people quit giving Lazaro sympathy votes…..give it to someone who studies and remembers their lines!!
I am sorry to say that Idol is loosing some credibility by Lazro continuing on when his voice is not the best. I think many are voting on sympathy rather than talent. If I were him I wouldn`t want to win on sympathy.
I want him to go home soooooooo bad!
He is whack and it is time for him to move on. Preferably home. That’s is all.
This is why I hate Idol now. Lazaro should have left a long time ago. The american public are definately metally challenged. He’s kind of okay, but the other performers especially in the boy category, Devin and Burnell, are far superior to Lazaro. Does he want to win on a sympathy vote. It’s not fair to the really talented young men who deserve to be at the top. I hate this show! Never will watch it again!
Lazaro is amazing!!!! I’m Hispanic all my votes are his!!! Stop being sorry!!!! For him cause he courage and beauty goes beyond you all!!! He is good to many other people!! Like or not Hispanic is a huge part of America!!! Hope we can prove it!!! Lazaro all the way!!!!
You cannot start a career buy making excuses of any kind.
An excuse means its not my fault. To forget lyrics and sing with poor pitch IS his fault.
If Lazaro wants to be a star He should resign on national TV admitting his talent does not rise to a competitive level at this time. He could then work on his skills and be welcomed back with open arms teaching everyone what determination and work can accomplish.
lazaro is a sweet heart and has a good voice. but he should have been gone 2 if not 3 weeks ago.if it was me i would want to win because im better than the rest and not because people are feeling sorry for me because i have a speach impediment.he knew pauly was better than him and he knows all the rest are better than him.its time to walk off that stage with your head high
Candice should’ve been in the top 3. Wtf is wrong with america voting for Lazaro! He’s the worst one in the competition!
If Lazaro is going to win Idol, he better start acting like a winner. Forget the good looks. Forget the stuttering. The problem is he forgets the lyrics. As the program moves on, he will be required to learn and sing more than one song a night. Will voters continue to ignore his mistakes and vote for him anyway? I wish Idol would not play up the personal lives of the contestants so much. If we would go back in time and AI would be only on radio, which of these contestants would be gone by now because we could not see what they were wearing or how they looked? I agree with the comment above. Lazaro’s voice is not quite ready yet. In many ways, this is about endurance. Who can take the continued pressure–the commercials, the photo shoots, having to choose from songs that are completely new, using the voice more than some are accustomed to, dealing with losing friends who are voted off, missing being away from family–all of this takes its toll, and eventually affects performance.
Lazaro is still in the competition because of the sympathy vote, votes from Hispanic folks and votes from another group that I will not mention. I also think that some people who do not like A.I. vote for him to spite the show. The other singers were all better than him this week as well as the last two weeks.
I agree. He’s getting the Hispanic vote because he’s the only game in town. The African American male singer went home tonight because that vote is being split three ways. In the end the winner will be determined by whoever is the preteen face because they are the only ones who care enough to vote their limit and nag everyone they know to do the same.
Might be some of the tweener and teenie bopper vote starting to show up? Until AOL decides to change the voting format, young girls will vote the “cutest guy” no matter what the talent is and affect the outcome of the competition. So tired of that.
Personally, I think you should have to be 18 years or older to vote on a singing competition. The same age as VOTING in the Presidential Election. This would STOP a lot of the Insanity teeny bopper votes when it’s all about looks with them–not the singing.
He could be great if he has time to learn the lyrics. We all excel at some things, and he’s just slower at learning lyrics. He’s fun to watch when he knows the words. Obviously people like him or they wouldn’t be voting for him.
South African Idols is a circus, the blacker you are the better the chance of winning and they are not good, never get anywhere, dont even bother to watch
Lazaros should not be on american idol at all…he brings down the quality of the show!…this show doesn’t have to do with choosing talent anymore…its beter to turn the TV off for this season!
so much for the credibility of voting on idol. lazaro is just NOT A GREAT SINGER!! sympathy may sell records for now, but what about long term?? where will he be in twenty years?? probably hanging out with lee dewyze, kris allen, and taylor hicks
It’s sympathy votes plain and simplet. I told my wife when the top ten were chosen to watch out that Lazaro will make the top 3 because he is cute and the fact that he overcomes his stuttering while singing, much like Mel Tillis. America, don’t be surprised if he wins.
Americans are getting it all wrong. you shouldn’t vote for someone just because they are hispanic, but because they can sing. Lazaro has a good voice, but he is not ready for the music business. It will eat him alive. He is too emotional!
Well..it’s not sympathy. It’s the fault of tweeny bops and fangirls out there who judge by looks. Now look at what they’ve done to the previous WGWG singers (White Guy With Guitar). …haven’t heard of them ,and some only get popular for awhile.
If it is sympathy, he could have been just top four or below. But being in the top three…hmm.. something’s not right.
Many people vote him because there are no Scotty, Lauren, Hollie C, James D, Casey, Paul M, Stefano in this season. I am not really impressed with the girls this season.
Hopefuly, Jacee Badeux will return next year after finishing his school.
AI is damn lucky they’ve got such a fabulous line up of girls left
this season or I venture to guess that all that would be left watching is Lazaro fans. It hurts my heart to see what a joke this program has become. WHY the judges put him into the top 10 will always be a mystery to me but even THEY are regretting it now as he is like a booger that they cant flick off !! This is the worst year ever. I love Mariah the performer and thought she would add alot to the judging panel but she cant even make it to her chair by herself !! And Nikki has already been discussed more than she deserves. I prefer her sitting there petting her own head and keeping her lips shut. She tried to champion Zoenette after all, that spoke volumes on her abilities right there in my book.
This isnt about talent anymore, it’s about popularity and controversy. I wont be wasting my time next year but I do have to see how the REAL talent (Candice, Amber, Kree & Janelle) end up. THEY’ll be around for the long haul, Lazaro will only be an umpleasant memory this time next year !!
If looking at all the facebook posts is any indication of how America feels or voted, then Lazaro should not even be in the running, let alone the top 3 last night. I don’t know who’s voting for him when 98% of the comments here say he should be off the show? Makes you think its all BS and scripted.
If this show is to survive another season they will surely have to change the voting system ,i mean come on your allowed 50 votes per voter ??? this show is not a talent show any more where the best singer get the votes its all about your image and what your wearing and how good you look on camera. Lazero bless him is as many people say very brave to overcome his problem,but come on he should have been voted off weeks ago and its amazing when 90% of all the comments made on so many web sites say the same things “LAZERO SHOULD GO” and yet this week hes in the top 3 ??? well somebody’s using all there votes for him even in sympathy or whatever,either that or these votes are being manipulated to make the show or should i say the farce more interesting,never mind we have the voice now so at least thats run more professional at least for the moment. Anyway back to Idol, Angie is my number 1 followed by Amber and kree.
I don’t think “sympathy” is the right word. I think it’s Anti-Nikki votes. People aren’t so much voting FOR Lazaro as AGAINST Nikki.
He sure proved Jimmy wrong 3 times now!! Guess more people like Lazaro than value Jimmy’s opinion!! Burnell should have gone home weeks ago so go figure! Lazaro did a great job this week. I hope he continues to sing his heart out and stay true to himself.
True, Lazaro might not possess the most amazing of voices & may not be as good as the others in terms of singing, but HEY PEOPLE we all must face facts ! Although American Idol is being advertised as a singing competition, it’s actually more than that. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WHOLE PACKAGE. You said DEVIN & PAUL Jolley were way much better singers compared to him. So where are they now? Honestly I love Devin’s voice, it’s so full & caresses you like silk.. but when I see him on the stage, sorry to say but, it’s like seeing that cigarette vendor that i come across with everyday on my way home who looks exactly like him, blonde hair & all. He just doesn’t have that star appeal qualitythat would make you pack your stuffs early at work to go home in anticipation of seeing what you idol has in store for you- which by the way is what’s been happening to most fans who’ve been following Lazaro. What about Pauly..?I don’t know, what can I say about him?.. Exactly the point. In all his performances which I honestly believe were mostly exceptional, not one song have I made a connection with..not a single one. & it astounds me. I mean Paul is also good-looking & seemed really nice just like Lazaro. But audience impact & stage presence is next to zero. Jimmy Lavinne thought his GREAT INSTRUMENT w as enough reason for him to stay but like I said where is he now? LAZARO CLIMBED UP TO TOP 3 NOT BECAUSE OF SYMPATHY VOTES. ITS COZ OF EVERYTHING HE REPRESENTS. He has great voice. I’m amazed at how a lot of people say Lazaro is not as good now as he was during the audition. Common sense please people! Of course he is! Less all those loud instruments used to accompany vocals during the competition. Let him sing again acapella then make your judgement. All he needs is a good production & a fine song that matches the quality of his voice. As regards forgetting lyrics, Lazaro admiited during the interview that he messed up & maybe he really messed up badly coz he’s only human.But when he said on live tv that he learned that song just the night before, it saddened me when people started jumping out of their seats taking the opportunity to step on him, calling him a liar. Such IQ! PEOPLE, HE DIDN’T SAY I HAD TO LEARN IT W/ JIMMY THE NIGHT BEFORE. HE SAID “I HAD TO LEARN IT LAST NIGHT”. Come on people, give the guy a break! HE’S CHARMING ON STAGE & HAS GREAT STAGE PRESENCE. LAZARO DID NOT WIN MILLIONS OF VOTES BECAUSE OF SYMPATHY! IT’S BCOZ HE SHOWS GREAT POTENTIAL AS AN ARTIST PERIOD. Me? I’m a filipino & regretting very much that I’m not a part of that 25Million American votes that came thru for Lazaro.. But I am proud of Lazaro & will always be behind him no matter what..
there at home because of Lazaros pitty party!
I am caucasian American/Irish and I vote for Kree!! Go White American girl! You have an amazing voice! Angie has an incredible voice too but sometimes I think she plays it up too much. Of course that’s what AI wants because she is more marketable than the others (although Amber can be marketable too but I don’t think her voice is better). Candice has an amazing voice too. I do like Lazaro but don’t think he will make it to the top 3
Ya I think we’re all are in agreement here Lazaro is not “in it to win it”bit why is he still there,is americans that stupid idk if so we’re in boig trouble people the girls are goin to take over anyways.?? We hope.
Its a shame because he is not good enough to surpass any of the top 5 girls. Because he is Hispanic or has a speech impediment does not qualify him to be in the Top 3. Yes, it is a singing competition and forgetting the lyrics does not get rewarded by being in the Top 3. If only Simon was still there. When I was watching the auditions, Lazaro was one of my favorites but once the Top 10 was revealed….he really isn’t that good of a singer compared to the rest.
i think he’s going home next, because he is up against the top 5 ( in my book) singers of the show! Angie, amber, Kree, Candice, and Janelle! he’s made it this far but its time to go. and even if God forbid maybe amber has the lowest votes, the judges WILL use their save 🙂
He made it to Top 10. That means he eligible for votes by American public who make their choices, dumb or not. Whether he is the worse in the group what matters is the American are voting for him. It’s democratic when people can vote for who they choose. It’s similar to when they voted Obama in office, dumb or not.
The guy has talent that the judges refuse to see because they have favs they r pushing!
I don’t think they REFUSE to see it, I just think it’s not there. No doubt he’s a cute guy, but when you LISTEN he is not in the same category as the others. People are voting for him out of pity…or AI is messing with the votes to get people to talk about the show. Something to think about. Go Candace!
I have one name for all of you out there! It is Taylor Hicks! Can anyone remember that train wreck? He was a terrible singer and he beat Katherine McPhee a few years back. She is now on a TV show called “SMASH”. She sings and dances with the best . She came in second place. He had premature gray hair and the teeny boppers loved him. I sure hope that doesn’t happen again with Lazaro! Please people, get real. AI is not a voice competition anymore, it is becoming a farce.
He’s the last good looking male standing, geee’s its always been the teen girls that pick the next idol, never has been talent, thats why Idol makes me crazy compaired to other talent shows.
Get him out of competition, no talent not so ever, sympathy votes all the way , looks like all the Cubans from America are voting for him !
Why? Because his pants are packed with socks and he only smiles when the camera is on him. The rest of the time he has this pity pout. only one vote should be allowed. This is rediculous.
azaro ca,nt remember the words to the songs the girls are better singer he doesn,t derseves to be in top 3
I think Lazaro sings good but didn’t do well april 11th. I do think with his handsome good looks he would make a sexy male model.
HES PROBABLY SING IN SPANISH BETTER
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR HIM SING IN SPANISH
NO COMMENT
Lazaro has a great tone, and good looks but he gets nervous and forgets words. All he needs is a qualified coach and confidence. He earned his way to this contest. But I think he should be a model and let the singing be secondary…He could be The Face of Miami….