Every week the judges say that it’s all about song choice. They burn this idea into contestants heads and judge harshly when the wrong song is chosen. However, is it really about song choice?  I doubt it. 

We’ve seen many contestants choose horrible songs and still make it through. As we get closer to the end, I think song choice becomes less and less important. Sure, maybe in the begining song choice is important, but after a few weeks, it’s more about popularity.

Popularity is key. If the crowd at home likes you, you could forget the lyrics, or start the song over, and still not be voted out. I believe that David Archuleta forgot the words one week and no one cared. Katharine McPhee did too and she got second place.  And then there was Sanjaya.  Why he lasted as long as he did had nothing to do with talent.

So is American Idol a talent contest? Yes, but to a point. It’s more of a popularity contest overall.  

If you ever get on Idol, prove you can sing in the beginning, be nice to people and remember the fans are home are picking early favorites. Once you have the fans, you may just get a free pass on a future screw-up.