DOWNEY - Allison Iraheta, "Downey's very own Idol" as she's been recently called, had another performance on "American Idol" on Tuesday, when she performed "Don't Speak" by No Doubt.I am not the biggest fan of "American Idol" and to be honest I don't think I have ever seen a full episode until Tuesday night, which I enjoyed watching. I could not wait to see what the top 9 actually sounded like and of course to hear and see Iraheta perform. I could not help but be in awe about the song she was going to be sing, since this time around it was up to the contestants to choose a song to perform. Once she hit the stage she was truly amazing, making minor mistakes as well as making the song "Don't Speak" fit and reflect her own style and originality. She did not just sing but also played the guitar in the intro of her song. The moment she opened her mouth to sing the first couple of lyrics she reminded me of Christina Aguilera. Iraheta is only 16, but has a voice so powerful and strong that it almost seems as if it were not coming from her. Aguilera too had such a strong voice as a young girl and made it big, and there is no doubt in my mind that Iraheta is heading in that path, whether or not it is through 'Idol.' Iraheta was wearing a pink puffy knee-high laced dress that had an unusual white-belt-looking thing hanging down the middle, with black leggings, and white open-toed heals. She also had an interesting hairdo going on that was quite distracting for me. It appeared to me that she was trying a little too hard to look edgy and have the rock star look, when she very well did not need to do so. The judges made sure to point out her wardrobe, especially Randy Jackson. They all said that she was a great singer and had talent, but that her outfit was a distraction. I agreed with that statement, especially with her hair. I see why Iraheta has been able to make it all the way up to the top 9 and hope she will make it even further in this competition, but she has to keep it up. The wait is getting shorter and the other contestants are trying their hardest to bring their best performance forward. It is now up to the public to keep voting for her.

********** Published: April 3, 2009 - Volume 7 - Issue 50