Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Jamila Thompson of Atlanta, Ga., performed Beyonce’s “Halo” and got Usher to turn around at the very last moment. As fortune would have it, he’s the coach she wanted.

Battle Round: Defeated by Audrey Karrasch on “If I Were a Boy,” was not saved.

Her background: On Facebook, Jamila — Mila for short — describes herself as a singer, dancer and actor. She writes that her parents noticed her attraction to the music and arts when she was 4, so she started music lessons and was playing piano and violin by age 10.

On her coach: “He’s amazing all around. Aside from my vocals and helping them grow, and molding me into being able to do other genres, I feel like he can help out with my performance, because he’s a phenomenal performer. And I feel like that adds to the song — the passion to the song is (the way) you perform it to the audience. I think he can really help me out with that.”

What the show didn’t show: Her father played bass guitar and appeared as an extra in Spike Lee films, sparking her interest in acting that led to a guest appearance on Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne” and on MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” her website says. Musically, she has released two singles, most recently the dance tune “Handle That” in 2011. The video is embedded below. You can check out more of her originals on her website. I tried embedding those as well, but they begin playing without prompting, and we all know how annoying that can be. “Taking Over You” is particularly catchy.

Quote: “When I went on stage, I was cool in the beginning. Sang the beginning, no chairs turn around. Went to the middle, no chairs. By the end, I was really nervous. And then, on my last breathing note, Usher turned around. I didn’t even know what to say. ‘Um. Thanks. I’m so excited.’ I was trying to be normal. But it didn’t work.”

On iTunes: Her auditions song, plus two singles, “Handle That” from 2011 and “Side One” from 2009

Keeping up with Jamila
Twitter: @Viva_Mila
Facebook
Website

“Handle That” (2011 single)