Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her first name means exotic flower, and Naima Adedapo certainly brought some freshness to American Idol during Season 10.

Unfortunately, that originality also included a reggae version of Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” that didn’t register with the judges or Idol’s voting public.

And so Naima was eliminated from Idol Thursday night, though she will be going on the summer tour with the rest of the top 11.

Naima talked to the media about Idol and her future Friday afternoon.

* She says the female contestants have faith in themselves. But she says the reality is, more than 50 percent of the audience are teenage girls and, “once they get a crush, we’re done.”

* Naima says she feels her audience is the older crowd that aren’t as technology savvy. She had people tell her, “I voted for you three times.” And she’s thinking, “You could have voted 500 by texting.”

* Naima says Lauren Alaina’s tears over last night’s departures might have been partly because she was a mother figure to some of the younger contestants. But she says Lauren Alaina and Thia were also close friends.

* What will Naima miss most about Idol? “The shopping,” she says, enthusiastically. She says that was her escape from the pressure of Idol. All the better if she could find a bargain, because that means she could buy more things.

* She says she was part of many dance troupes pre-Idol, including any African dance group “you can name” in the Milwaukee area.

* About the reggae performance, she says she simply wanted to show every side of herself as a performer. She says she had some people tell her it might not be a good idea, but she was determined to stay true to herself. She says she doesn’t regret any of her performances on the show.