If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Both are of Filipino-American descent. Both have big voices trapped in pint-sized bodies. Both have that oh-so cute and innocent look. The big question - will Ramiele Malubay go as far as Jasmine Trias did? Last week, the Fil-Am sensation was the last and the tiniest contestant to perform in American Idol, and her number “I Should Have Known Better” was rendered superbly. Even though it didn’t bring the house down, it made Randy Jackson say “I wasn’t jumping up and down but I liked it”. Paula Abdul who was plugging for her remarked that Ramiele Malubay was “definitely better than last week”. Yeah! As with Jasmine Trias, she has a wide circle of friends and fans — her core voters. Couple that with her good performance, it was not a surprise that Ramiele Malubay got inside American Idol’s Top 10 finalists last week =) Let’s just hope that she can reach as far as Jasmine did — and that’s in the top 3!

Hard to believe right?? Especially since the bad boy judge is always saying bad stuff about her! Hmm, maybe Simon Cowell is into tough love and Ramiele Malubay is really lucky enough to get that.. =) The Dish Rag talked with Simon and fellow American Idol judge Randy Jackson at the Details magazine Mavericks party at a private Beverly Hills estate last March 20 and here’s what they have to say –

Dish Rag: You’ve both mentioned that you think a guy is going to win this season. Why?
Randy: I think the boys are stronger and more interesting than the girls this year.
Simon: Yeah, I agree.
Randy: It’s different every year. It just depends what comes out

DR: So what are your picks, your favorites?
Simon: Top three: David Archuleta. Jason Castro. Brooke or Ramiele Malubay.
DR: What is it about each one of them that makes them stand out?
Simon: Popularity.
Randy: Popularity and they also rule in consistency. The talent is always there.

Yahoo!! Simon Cowell loves Ramiele Malubay!! And if you guys continue to vote for her, I’m sure she’ll come out on top =) Continue voting okay??

..but still has a long way to go! In last week’s American Idol, the Pinay sensation showed the people once again what her voice can do. Ramiele Malubay sang “I Should Have Known Better” and only Simon Cowell has something bad to say about it, and the crowd booed him! And once again I must say that Ramiele Malubay looked oh-so good in her outfit! =) Here’s what MTV has to say about her latest performance:

… Funny that some “Idol” fans feel like they’re “bad stuck” with Ramiele Malubay, who still hasn’t lived up to her huge (although tiny!) potential. We know Ramiele has a voice bigger than Imelda Marcos’ shoe collection. Now she needs to find the perfect balance between sass and substance. “I Should Have Known Better” was a baby step in the right direction. She finally showed that she can perform without sounding like a pageant contestant who learned how to sing English phonetically. But the song — and the lame über-karaoke arrangement — left her doing a lot of Noriega neck snaps and not much else.

Despite her very boring performance (I’m not saying poor or bad performance coz she sang well!) with little positive feedback last night, the 18-year old managed to hold on to her American Idol dreams. And I, for one, am glad! I just hope Ramiele Malubay will vindicate herself in the coming weeks. If you missed the show yesterday, here’s a rundown of the last few minutes of the elimination (c/o Charlotte.com) –

9:47 p.m. That leaves us with Presumptive American Idol Winner David Archuleta, Brooke White, David Hernandez and Ramiele Malubay. Archie and Brooke have far-and-away the most dedicated fan bases this season — cults, really — so they’re both in no real danger. That leaves David Hernandez and Ramiele. Switching things up just a bit, Ramiele Malubay, the last person in line, is safe, leaving Pizza Boy in the Bottom Three.

9:55 p.m. Randy says that this is the right Bottom Three. Paula says she’s never seen “a more stronger Bottom Three.” Not even late in a season? Really? That being said, she agrees that this was the right Bottom Three. And Simon agrees too.

9:58 p.m. Ryan has caught on that torturing Kristy is fun, announcing, “America has decided that Kristy… [loooong pause] you are safe.” After looking initially surprised, David says, “Things happen for a reason.” David Hernandez was not the least talented singer left in the competition and he wasn’t the worst on Tuesday’s show. Draw your own conclusions.

I was finally able to catch American Idol LIVE tonight! Woohoo! =) I usually watch the performances on YouTube but this time I was able to catch the show and watch Ramiele Malubay sing! Unfortunately, her singing fell flat to my ears =( Even before the three AI judges said a word, I knew they would not like her performance. To borrow Randy Jackson’s assessment, Ramiele Malubay’s choice of song (and the way she sang it) was BORING. Of course, Simon Cowell was mean as usual. What else is new??

He said that everything the Pinay sensation did was boring — the walking to and fro the stage, her mannerisms, etc. Sigh! The only good thing that was said about Ramiele Malubay tonight came from Paula Abdul (who else?? lol) who loved the way the singer from Miramar dressed up. For sure, she really looked gorgeous and more lady-like than any of her other performances =) I hope Ramiele would do better next week! And guys, don’t forget to vote for her!