Jason Castro — “Hallelujah” — American Idol 7 Top 16 — Video MP3

Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 08:49 PM | American Idol 7, Jason Castro

Jason Castro American Idol Top 16

Jason Castro performs “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen on American Idol Top 16

Great! I liked it. His fans will love it.

Paula Abdul is talking nonsense now… hahaha. Simon Cowell thought it was brilliant.

Listen to the audio of Jason Castro:

Pre-Order Jason Castro Top 16 on iTunes

Direct link to MP3 and video clip:

Jason Castro
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Jason Castro fan thread on Rickey Forums

82 Comments for Jason Castro — “Hallelujah” — American Idol 7 Top 16 — Video MP3

1

AWESOME! That’s the best performance of the night IMO.

I liked how he almost laughed when he lost that last line. Too adorable!

silverfangs on March 4, 2008 at 8:53 pm
2

I like Jason Castro. That was nice. Poor Paula. She tries so hard but the synapses just aren’t there.

Spriggzoid on March 4, 2008 at 8:53 pm
3

Beautiful song, nice version of a great Leonard Cohen number. One thing…get an f,ing haircut. That date story was gross. Not to future girlfriends/boyfriends, never eat a meal cooked by Jason Castro.

hybrid1971 on March 4, 2008 at 8:53 pm
4

WOW! Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley … it doesn’t get better. One of my favourite songs of all time, and he did a nice job.

laff on March 4, 2008 at 8:53 pm
5

I am with Simon – brilliant ! I guess it won’t be the David A. steamroller after all.

oOo on March 4, 2008 at 8:54 pm
6

he is so pretty. and that was sooo pretty! *loves*

FYI the mp3 file for d/l doesn’t exist apparently

insanitic on March 4, 2008 at 8:55 pm
7

Beautiful. I would buy his CD if he made one. He is definitely in my top 3 faves.

Daisy on March 4, 2008 at 8:58 pm
8

Yes, link error for the mp3. Can’t wait to hear it. Thanks Rickey!

sandman06 on March 4, 2008 at 9:02 pm
9

My 2nd fav of the night!!! Jason is amazing, I like him a lot. Perfect song choice for him too, wow.

sweetangel1051 on March 4, 2008 at 9:07 pm
10

goodie goodie!!!!! i loved it!!!

the download link’s not working! hehehehe..

pasaway01 on March 4, 2008 at 9:18 pm
11

i think he’s the DARK HORSE….i could see him WINNING AI!

DAVID A. and JASON C. for the FINAL 2!!!!!!!

mrseattle on March 4, 2008 at 9:20 pm
12

the link mp3 error
Rickey, please re-upload it, thanks
I love Jason Castro! ^_^

hyekyo4ever on March 4, 2008 at 9:24 pm
13

Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. Hallelujah!

lotus on March 4, 2008 at 9:25 pm
14

He is reeeeaallly pretty. Performance was awesome.

I’m skeptical about his range as a performer.

rascal on March 4, 2008 at 9:25 pm
15

MP3 doesn’t exist…

thisenvy on March 4, 2008 at 9:30 pm
16

Loved it.. He’s my 2nd favorite after my sonny boy

ealbino on March 4, 2008 at 9:32 pm
17

I didn’t like it. BUT I guess he has alot of fans.

moderndukes on March 4, 2008 at 9:35 pm
18

I always seem to forget him for some reason but he ok tonite.Oh wait I know the dreads for me I wish he would cut them,I don’t get it.

beesure on March 4, 2008 at 9:42 pm
19

The Post-eating monster is at it again!

Let me say that Jason was amazing this evening! He shone confidence holding his own as he performed the beautiful ballad in his customary, unfettered style & without the guitar. Nice job! Even Simon couldn’t deny the guy & although Jason is not 1 of his picks, he admitted to Brilliance in this song selection & performance.

Yeah. Jason definitely deserves to make the 12 & beyond, no doubt!:D

aprylette on March 4, 2008 at 9:49 pm
20

Loved him. 2nd favorite of the night.

GeminiDolly on March 4, 2008 at 9:58 pm
21

I don’t know why everyone’s saying it’s the best because every time he sings hallelujah, it’s like *deep intake of break* HA…llelujah..and half the time I couldn’t hear his singing! I like him though, but I think it was better when he sang Daydream

ArchAngels on March 4, 2008 at 9:59 pm
22

I thought it was his best vocals I’ve heard yet, although he did blow the ending. Didn’t bring anything new to the song, but it is a GREAT song!

richie on March 4, 2008 at 10:00 pm
23

Sorry guys but everytime I see his pic he reminds me of Boy George.

Chicago-48 on March 4, 2008 at 10:01 pm
24

The kid is good at picking song.

silverfangs on March 4, 2008 at 10:07 pm
25

boy george is flawless! So is Jason!

xbrowneyesbluex on March 4, 2008 at 10:07 pm
26

can anyone please tell me the arrangement of the idols tonight.. missed the show but i want to vote for my fave.. thanks u guys!

arwenstar20 on March 4, 2008 at 10:10 pm
27

Loved it!!

-ewgs
xanga.com/ewgs
all about idol

ewgs on March 4, 2008 at 10:10 pm
28

for me he is ” blah” i dont really care.

andyv172 on March 4, 2008 at 10:13 pm
29

Chicago, do you post the same thing on every board? I’m pretty sure I’ve read that statement already tonight.

Nothing about Jason resembles Boy George…unless you’re going by the hair alone.

Anyway, I thought Jason was amazing as usual. He has such a simplicity to him, nothing is over the top, no diva behavior. He has a sweetness, and pleasantness about him. You can’t help but to smile when he’s on the screen.

And I actually thought he felt the lyrics, and understood them….unlike some people who sing songs too complex for them.

Miss Tara on March 4, 2008 at 10:14 pm
30

Yes silverfangs, Jason IS good at picking songs.

aprylette on March 4, 2008 at 10:15 pm
31

Jason was AMAZING.

khonvelz on March 4, 2008 at 10:26 pm
32

I thought Jason did a great job tonight. His singing was beautiful and he’s as charming as he’s adorable.

Donna on March 4, 2008 at 10:28 pm
33

Re: Miss Tara

I think you nailed it. It’s that sweet simplicity that is so appealing. No frills, no scandals, no crazy neurotic personality. It’s also like he doesn’t realize how truly good he is, and somehow that naivete is cute. I think it’s refreshing.

I also thought “pleasant” was a great choice of words. He’s like David Archuleta for people that can’t stand too many rainbows or kittens.

DJ Ryce on March 4, 2008 at 10:28 pm
34

Uh, not exactly brilliant for me…the first few notes were shaky, and so was the last measure (and he knew it, too…I could tell by the look on his face).

But the middle…now that was mmm, mmm, good! He’s really perfected this slight “inperfection” as an idiosyncratic singing quality. Very interesting performer.

feaqs on March 4, 2008 at 10:30 pm
35

Miss Tara: Good point! I think Jason only picks the songs whose lyrics he can relate to personally, and that’s definitely one of the reasons why his performances are always so genuine and heart-felt. It’s hard to get to know him through his speech as he rarely makes any, but glad that his music tells so much about him.

I loved his performance tonight, but has anyone noticed how nervous he actually was especially towards the end? He obviously was a little uneasy without the guitar, but his shyness is really cute.

mayo on March 4, 2008 at 10:32 pm
36

Gorgeous song. I like this guy a lot. My niece (former Blakergirl) is swooning over him. Go niece; your taste is getting better, hon!

GirlyGirl45 on March 4, 2008 at 10:32 pm
37

I loved it! Very sweet and achingly beautiful song and performance. Jason reminds me of Howie Day stylistically. I think he’d do very well on the radio. (And, by the way, he can hold a tune, which is more than I can say for many modern singers!)

Rickey, thanks for the lightspeed uploads of MP3’s! (Bite it, iTunes!) LOL However, there seems to be a glitch shortly into this song…any way you could post a fixed version? Please?? This one’s too pretty!

claymedmyheart on March 4, 2008 at 11:07 pm
38

Tonight didn’t change my opinion on this guy. I like Jason and I think he should be in the final 12. He’s one of the few UNIQUE characters we have.

DJJayito on March 4, 2008 at 11:44 pm
39

Jason Castro is awesome tonight! Guess, he’ll be the other guy to watch aside to David A.!

nrg1040 on March 4, 2008 at 11:46 pm
40

another great performance. Jason and David C are my best perfoamance for the night.

vegasbabe on March 4, 2008 at 11:48 pm
41

If Jason got rid of the dreadlocks, he has a chance of beating David Archuleta. He is much more intriguing than David who is rather bland. Jason’s marketability is limited with his current look.

socal09 on March 4, 2008 at 11:51 pm
42

I REALLY like Jason, but I don’t see him lasting much longer. He has a nice voice, and it’s nice to listen to, but big voices always seem to prevail in this competition. I realllly do like him a lot though! And this was a great performance!

oboeadam on March 4, 2008 at 11:52 pm
43

i agree with you guys regarding with his looks…

i wanna see him in a clean cut image!

JASON CASTRO FOR THE WIN!!!!

mrseattle on March 5, 2008 at 12:02 am
44

big vocals ussally do win big on this show , but it never translates into sales post idol , look at tamara gray she was one of the best on season 1 and she hardly sold any cds. i think jason’s voice will appeal to idol fans and non idol fans which i think will make him sell alot of cd’s when he records a cd. i think he should go really far in this show, we need somthing differnt then big diva vocals. i think he brings somthing differnt to idol which is good, maybe it will open up idol to even more music types. im not even sure what kind of music he sings though?

abercrombieco2 on March 5, 2008 at 12:02 am
45

whoah, first authentic squealing of AI7. it’s official, i’m in. stick a fork in me. i heart jason castro!!!

amber on March 5, 2008 at 12:13 am
46

This was a beautiful performance. I loved it. He’s just so real, so believable when he performs. He doesn’t overdo it. He just has it. I’m always so anxious to see what he does. Definitely my favorite singer this season.

Oh…and I love the dreadlocks. Don’t change a thing.

grumpybear23 on March 5, 2008 at 12:15 am
47

GAHHHHHH!

just watched it again.

he’s an ANGEL

amber on March 5, 2008 at 12:16 am
48

He did Buckley’s version proud & was tied for the best tonight (with Dave C).

Buckley’s voice really cuts through you with its purity, but I really like how Jason’s slightly breathier vocal style works with this song. Buckley’s take is haunting, while I think Jason’s confers a bit more sadness.

Jason also nailed the emotion. If he hadn’t cracked that note at the end, it would probably have been the best vocal on the show this year.

baka77 on March 5, 2008 at 12:24 am
49

Re: abercrombie

“i think he should go really far in this show, we need somthing differnt then big diva vocals.”
Yes please!!

“im not even sure what kind of music he sings though?”

I think he’s very current and marketable for the sort of counterculture, mellow college-age hipsters. I’ve said it bunches of times, he’s the guy you see at a coffee shop or bar on Saturday nights. It’s very relevant for that demographic that thinks their taste is too good for Top 40/R&B/bubble gum pop.

I’d say he’s comparable to Coldplay, Belle & Sebastian, Eisley, Snow Patrol, Ingrid Michaelson, Band of Horses, Postal Service, etc. A little too weak to be considered alternative/punk rock, but too quirky to be on mainstream KISS FM stations. While I don’t jump for these bands myself, there is certainly a whole new market out there for AI to tap.

Oh yeah, this demographic loves dreadlocks.

DJ Ryce on March 5, 2008 at 12:39 am
50

and he TOTALLY had the best story.

amber on March 5, 2008 at 12:46 am
51

I think I see the Snow Patrol/Coldplay vibe but I think he’s more James Blunt than anything else.

It’s funny, I didn’t like the performance at all the first time around. I think it was mostly just weird for me to hear his type of voice singing this song. After another listen I thought it was very nice! Also agree with the comment about his adorableness at screwing up the last note and almost laughing! Totally agree that his singing and personality just make you smile!

NYdvm on March 5, 2008 at 1:04 am
52

I think he’ll make it to the top 12, but I’m not sure how long he’ll last once there.
Although I like the guy alot and like that he’s not one of the loud over-the-top kind of singers…
his singing really isn’t all that great.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not terrible, and picking the right songs like he did tonight makes him sound great, but he’s already shown that his voice is very iffy at times.

I really hope he does well though and I thought his embarassing moment was hilarious Boy needs to cut off the dreads every once in a while though to get rid of the dead hair (why it broke off)

Pallaton on March 5, 2008 at 1:10 am
53

i want to see him sing somthing thats more current, and see how he does with that. i’ve allways wanted to see a death cab for cutie , postal service , bright eyes , type of singer on the show. but your right about the college coffee shope type of singer which isn’t a bad thing i think its a good thing. i would love him to cover a sublime song on idol though lol. now that i think about it he does have kind of a west coast sublime/slighly stoopid type of sound too him.

abercrombieco2 on March 5, 2008 at 1:33 am
54

This sealed the deal for me – Jason Castro is officially my favorite Season 7 contestant!

jennings on March 5, 2008 at 1:46 am
55

Actually, I think the uniqueness of dreadlocks specifically on a white-skinned young guy with a beautiful face who sings effortless, folk/easy-going pop oriented music ALREADY makes him marketable. It makes him interesting & memorable. His modesty & innate shyness is what makes him likeable.

Regarding the hair; I canNOT even imagine Jason without the locks & do not want to envision that possibility anytime soon! Jason is the 1 refreshing factor in this season of American Idol competitors due in part to his appearance & performances.

GO JASON CASTRO!!

aprylette on March 5, 2008 at 2:10 am
56

What a cute twink!
I like him!

misssummers on March 5, 2008 at 2:13 am
57

Question: do we have to pay for the iTunes performance downloads?

Izzy on March 5, 2008 at 3:28 am
58

I’m not too interested to see Jason Castro perform on stage actually. perhaps it’s becoz of the hair…???

but he does have a great clear vocal, so I won’t hesitate to listen on his CD.

btw, agree with hybrid, he should get haircut. but… what if the meal Jason cooks is the best in the world? should I eat it too? (lol)

lei on March 5, 2008 at 5:33 am
59

I love, love, love Jason!!!

Kimber on March 5, 2008 at 8:24 am
60

Okay, I listened to it again and it was still boring to me!

bfashion58 on March 5, 2008 at 8:41 am
61

No haircuts, please. Love the dreads. It makes him stand out. Although, someone mentioned that he’s white-skinned. I’d say light-skinned, but not white-skinned. Gotta give some credit to his Colombian heritage.

abercrombie – if you haven’t heard it, he does cover Sublime on Youtube.

kelsey41 on March 5, 2008 at 8:47 am
62

@ abercrombieco2 #53…

There is a video of Jason singing Santeria on YT. It’s quite good actually…

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CDIFza5BaCs

baka77 on March 5, 2008 at 10:33 am
63

I second, third, fourth, and twelfth everything aprylette said on March 5, 2008 at 2:10 am!!!

Jodi on March 5, 2008 at 11:27 am
64

I love the dreads! Jason, don’t change a thing. He conveys soul and depth without being brooding, definitely a coffehouse kinda guy,

GirlyGirl45 on March 5, 2008 at 11:29 am
65

He doesn’t appeal to me so I think he’s going home tonight. He might make it to the top 12 but I think he’ll be in the bottom 3.

goodgarsh on March 5, 2008 at 11:54 am
66

goodgarsh – David Archuleta doesn’t appeal to me, but that doesn’t mean I think he’s going home! I’m pretty sure David A, David C, Michael and Jason are safe. And I doubt any of them go anywhere for awhile. The last 2 guys in and some of the girls will be the cannon fodder for the next few weeks.

Daisy on March 5, 2008 at 12:06 pm
67

He interpreted a great song his way and made it work. I thought it was fantastic. My upset favorite so far.

jbeeeb on March 5, 2008 at 1:13 pm
68

Izzy – yes..you have to pay to get the songs from itunes.. 99 cents and well worth it.

ealbino on March 5, 2008 at 1:47 pm
69

Re: goodgarsh
“He might make it to the top 12 but I think he’ll be in the bottom 3.”

That is like… the most useless comment ever made. He might be eliminated this week, or he might stay.

DJ Ryce on March 5, 2008 at 2:29 pm
70

Check this out: If you can imagine Jason without the dreads and ask him to say, “Welcome Back Kotter” I’m sure you’ll agree he sure looks a lot like John Travolta in his younger years.

aries on March 5, 2008 at 2:34 pm
71

thanks for the link! he should sing that song on idol.
he sounds pretty good singing this song too
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zd2ymoNXPC4&feature=related

abercrombieco2 on March 5, 2008 at 3:21 pm
72

Wow, Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” is #2 on the iTunes Top 100! I don’t even remember it being in the Top 100 recently… that’s great! Yay!

s0x_prisoner on March 5, 2008 at 5:31 pm
73

Re: goodgarsh
He doesn’t appeal to me so I think he’s going home tonight.

His appeal to any one individual isn’t an indicator of going home. Micheal Johns doesn’t appeal to me at all — doesn’t mean he’s going anywhere any time soon.

ambercrombieco2: there’s a bunch of his vids loaded here on a tv player if you’d like to see them all at once.

http://www.castrocopia.com/index.php?catid=11&blogid=2

castrocopia on March 5, 2008 at 6:03 pm
74

You are right Aries, Jason Castro does look like a young John Travolta. I was trying to figure out who he reminded me of. Jason is so good looking! And his voice is so unique. I wish he already had a CD so I can listen to him while driving in my car. The other dudes are just too forgettable although I do like David Archuleta. If either one of them win I will be happy. The girls this year really don’t do anything for me. The Irish girl can sing really good but nothing unique about her.

Castrofan on March 5, 2008 at 6:56 pm
75

Jason, if you or your family read these logs then I want you to know that I am YOUR number one FAN!! However, you need to build your confidence some more because you are too awesome to hold back. Show the world what you got! You have so much more to give, I know it. You are going to be a huge star. I can see you on the red carpet wearing that handsome smile of yours.

Castrofan on March 5, 2008 at 7:02 pm
76

i downloaded Leonard’s Hallelujah just to have something to compare with how Jason sang this.. and i can say, Jason did super great! haha.. i loved his performance, simon was right, it was brilliant!

pasaway01 on March 5, 2008 at 7:55 pm
77

Some people knock the original when comparing it to Buckley’s version but I think both are great. Jason’s version fits right in (minus the crack at the end)!

NYdvm on March 5, 2008 at 10:28 pm
78

I just have to put a plug in for my favorite youtube cover of this song:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8qPgKX_Oug4
Check it out!
Sorry for the non-jason post

NYdvm on March 5, 2008 at 10:40 pm
79

Hey Jodi @ #63! You feelin’ me, hunh?

Woohoo Jason Castro!

aprylette on March 6, 2008 at 12:41 am
80

“Wow, Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” is #2 on the iTunes Top 100! I don’t even remember it being in the Top 100 recently… that’s great! Yay!”

s0x_prisoner on March 5, 2008 at 5:31 pm

I saw that, too! I was so excited.

grumpybear23 on March 6, 2008 at 1:37 am
81

Utterly charming.

davedc on March 6, 2008 at 4:55 pm
82

As someone else said, don’t change a thing Jason! He sings one of my favorite songs — love him!!! Hope he wins!

szjodic on March 7, 2008 at 9:53 pm