Holy Toledo

Idol is over for this season, and the Dreaded Crystal didn’t win, but she managed to retain her uncompetitive spirit throughout the competition, which was wonderful to behold. She seemed genuinely distressed when performers she admired were dismissed early from the show. If the judges compared her performance unfavorably with someone else’s – as they did with Siobhan one week – she would cheerfully agree that the other person was “amazing.” She never failed to acknowledge the backup singers with a warm look or a respectful bow in their direction before turning to face the judges. When she sang the Falling Slowly duet with Lee – a highlight of the show, she described him as “her musical crush,” adding her heartfelt endorsement during a week when it seemed like the judges were favoring him over her. When they asked if she could “see the finish line” (when it was down to her and Lee), she pointed to the back row of the auditorium and said, “Yes, it’s up there.” I can’t wait until she starts releasing some of the songs she’s written, like Holy Toledo which sounds great even in the amateur recordings posted on YouTube.