Naima Adedapo Songs - American Idol Season 10
Born: October 5, 1984
Musical Style: R&B, Reggae, Pop
Audition City: Milwaukee
Backstory: When Naima Adedapo auditioned, the producers showed her cleaning up a concert venue as part of her full-time job while she dreamed of playing a big stage herself.
Influences: India Arie, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Donny Hathaway
Occasionally judges on American Idol will refer to an auditioner having "the full package," and Naima Adedapo arguably had that during her audition in her hometown of Milwaukee. Singing a pop standard called "For All We Know," she conveyed the emotion and conviction necessary for an audience to believe that the words of a song come straight from the heart. Naima Adedapo returned to this song for her Top 24 Wildcard performance, where she was saved by the judges to move on to the Top 13. While Naima cited Donny Hathaway for "For All We Know," the song was originally performed in 1934 by Hal Kemp, and has been covered by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand and Rod Stewart.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
Several songs from the American Idol season 10 auditions made an encore performance during Top 24 week, including "Summertime," which Julie Zorrilla brought with her to the San Francisco auditions. Naima Adedapo received more positive than negative feedback on her performance, but on American Idol the song "Summertime" will always be Fantasia's version in season 3.Buy from Amazon »
Every so often, a performance on American Idol comes along that has the potential of polarizing viewers who either hate it or love it without any in-between. Such was the case with Naima Adedapo's Top 13 week cover of "Umbrella," which incorporated a new reggae break and dance moves no one had seen from Naima previously. While the judges rightfully mentioned some pitch and breath issues, overall Naima Adedapo joined Stefano Langone in bringing a performance to the American public that was relevant and dynamic. The original version of "Umbrella" recorded by Rihanna with Jay-Z was the biggest hit of her career, going to the top five of almost every country it was released in.
WatchBuy from Amazon »
While Naima Adedapo's performance during American Idol season 10's Top 13 week was entertaining, many expressed concerns that it may have been more style over substance. Unfortunately those concerns continued into Top 12 week, where Naima's vocals were cited for being pitchy and concerns were expressed that it may be a trend rather than a one-off situation. "What's Love Got to Do With It" was a career-defining single for Tina Turner in 1984, establishing her as major pop artist for the next 20 years and helping her land her first number one hit in the US.
WatchBuy from Amazon »
Some of the most memorable performances on American Idol have been when contestants completely reinvented songs. For example, who could forget Blake Lewis's definining moment when he gave Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" the beatbox treatment? Naima Adedapo tried for that same type of innovation when she brought a reggae feel to "I'm Still Standing" on American Idol season 10's Elton John night. While the performance was solid, the judges weren't too thrilled with the reggae twist, and Naima ended up going home the next night. "I'm Still Standing" was one of three hits from Elton John's Too Low For Zero CD in 1983, along with "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues and "Kiss the Bride."
Watch
Purchase / Download Original
After a few weeks of shaky vocals, Naima Adedapo finally found the formula for combining her soulful vocals and energetic performance style in a way that translated well to both the audience and the judges during Top 11 week. From the staging of the performance to the vocal range displayed, Naima Adedapo was cited by judge Randy Jackson for making "smart" choices. "Dancing in the Street" actually charted higher on the pop chart than the R&B chart in 1964, which was unusual for records released on the Motown labels.
WatchBuy from Amazon »
"Get Ready" - The Temptations (Hollywood Groups)
"The Long and Winding Road" - Beatles Week
"Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae (Top 40)
Musical Style: R&B, Reggae, Pop
Audition City: Milwaukee
Backstory: When Naima Adedapo auditioned, the producers showed her cleaning up a concert venue as part of her full-time job while she dreamed of playing a big stage herself.
Influences: India Arie, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Donny Hathaway
1. "For All We Know" - (Donny Hathaway)
Occasionally judges on American Idol will refer to an auditioner having "the full package," and Naima Adedapo arguably had that during her audition in her hometown of Milwaukee. Singing a pop standard called "For All We Know," she conveyed the emotion and conviction necessary for an audience to believe that the words of a song come straight from the heart. Naima Adedapo returned to this song for her Top 24 Wildcard performance, where she was saved by the judges to move on to the Top 13. While Naima cited Donny Hathaway for "For All We Know," the song was originally performed in 1934 by Hal Kemp, and has been covered by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand and Rod Stewart.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
2. "Summertime" (Pop Standard)
Several songs from the American Idol season 10 auditions made an encore performance during Top 24 week, including "Summertime," which Julie Zorrilla brought with her to the San Francisco auditions. Naima Adedapo received more positive than negative feedback on her performance, but on American Idol the song "Summertime" will always be Fantasia's version in season 3.Buy from Amazon »
3. "Umbrella" (Rihanna)
Every so often, a performance on American Idol comes along that has the potential of polarizing viewers who either hate it or love it without any in-between. Such was the case with Naima Adedapo's Top 13 week cover of "Umbrella," which incorporated a new reggae break and dance moves no one had seen from Naima previously. While the judges rightfully mentioned some pitch and breath issues, overall Naima Adedapo joined Stefano Langone in bringing a performance to the American public that was relevant and dynamic. The original version of "Umbrella" recorded by Rihanna with Jay-Z was the biggest hit of her career, going to the top five of almost every country it was released in.
WatchBuy from Amazon »
4. "What’s Love Got to Do With It" (Tina Turner)
While Naima Adedapo's performance during American Idol season 10's Top 13 week was entertaining, many expressed concerns that it may have been more style over substance. Unfortunately those concerns continued into Top 12 week, where Naima's vocals were cited for being pitchy and concerns were expressed that it may be a trend rather than a one-off situation. "What's Love Got to Do With It" was a career-defining single for Tina Turner in 1984, establishing her as major pop artist for the next 20 years and helping her land her first number one hit in the US.
WatchBuy from Amazon »
5. "I'm Still Standing" (Elton John)
Some of the most memorable performances on American Idol have been when contestants completely reinvented songs. For example, who could forget Blake Lewis's definining moment when he gave Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" the beatbox treatment? Naima Adedapo tried for that same type of innovation when she brought a reggae feel to "I'm Still Standing" on American Idol season 10's Elton John night. While the performance was solid, the judges weren't too thrilled with the reggae twist, and Naima ended up going home the next night. "I'm Still Standing" was one of three hits from Elton John's Too Low For Zero CD in 1983, along with "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues and "Kiss the Bride."
Watch
Purchase / Download Original
6. "Dancing in the Street" (Martha and the Vandellas)
After a few weeks of shaky vocals, Naima Adedapo finally found the formula for combining her soulful vocals and energetic performance style in a way that translated well to both the audience and the judges during Top 11 week. From the staging of the performance to the vocal range displayed, Naima Adedapo was cited by judge Randy Jackson for making "smart" choices. "Dancing in the Street" actually charted higher on the pop chart than the R&B chart in 1964, which was unusual for records released on the Motown labels.
WatchBuy from Amazon »
7. Other Songs
"Get Ready" - The Temptations (Hollywood Groups)
"The Long and Winding Road" - Beatles Week
"Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae (Top 40)