‘American Idol’ Group Number ‘Was a Trainwreck,’ Says Finalist Devin Velez
Most everyone knows that for the finalists, American Idol is one giant four-month pressure cooker. But nearly halfway into season 12, forgetting a lyric is just about unforgiveable.
Yet that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday night when a trio of male competitors — Devin Velez, Lazaro Arbos and Burnell Taylor — fumbled the words to Motown classic “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).” Judge Nicki Minaj’s reaction from the judges’ table: “I’m gonna act like I didn’t see that or hear it.”
To be sure, it’s a somewhat sensitive issue considering Arbos’ stutter, made even more touchy when fellow contestant Velez first jumped in to fill the void then commented about the lackluster performance to the judges.
Speaking to the press after the show, Velez maintained that he didn’t want to “throw anybody under the bus,” but he also saw clear to have his own insurance policy that night. “I was prepared,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I knew my lines and I learned the whole song on purpose because I thought that this might happen.”
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Velez described the performance as “a trainwreck,” but also contends, it “could have been worse. … We survived, though Nicki wasn’t too happy,” he said.
Added Taylor: “Our rehearsal went so good and I was so amped to perform. We were strong, but the minute it went downhill, we were all disappointed in ourselves as a group.”
For his part, Arbos said, “I don’t like to use excuses, but at the same time, we’d never heard that song. I’ve never heard that song, and I felt we could have used more time learning the words.”
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On the bright side, Taylor looked at it as a learning experience, telling THR, “I wouldn’t change nothing. And I’m glad Nicki said what she did because if she didn’t, we wouldn’t take it as serious. I feel like we all learned from it. Next week, if we’re around, we need to kill it.”
Do you think one of the three guys is destined for elimination? Should he be? Sound off in the comments…
Twitter: @Idol_Worship
