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Ada Vox, a/k/a Adam Sanders (Photo from American Idol .com)

Ada Vox is the fierce first drag queen to make it to the top 10 on “American Idol.” And she got there no thanks to America itself. Judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan saved her spot after she did not secure the votes from viewers.

That hasn’t deterred the 13-time contestant ? who had previously auditioned as non-drag self Adam Sanders ? from marching forward, leaving power ballads and iconic duets in her wake.

Speculation over the country’s level of acceptance hovered over Vox’s and other contestants’ would-be eliminations. Jurnee, a black lesbian fellow contestant, was also voted off but saved by the judges.

“It was interesting to see that a lot of the different contestants were not voted through by America,” Vox told HuffPost.

Vox hesitated to point to discrimination for the results of the vote. “I’m not sure exactly what that is a testament to,” she said. “As we know, we are moving forward as a country, slowly but surely.”

Still, Vox stressed that visibility is the key to getting to a more accepting place.

“Although America might not be ready for people like those of us who are a little bit different,” she said, “I think it’s very important that our talents be recognized ? that we be recognized as individuals, to be given one more chance … to stand up and say ‘Hey, we are just as [worthy] of these platforms. We have dreams, we have talent, and we came here to speak for love.’”

When Vox auditioned as Sanders in 2013, the judges were confused by his song choice ? “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James. Vox believes the contrast between his outward appearance and choice of song was an obstacle then. “I was a chubby Latino boy. I sang big diva songs. I dressed in plaid shirts. And it was too strange a combination.”

Now, Vox told HuffPost everything just makes more sense. And more than that, dressing as Vox has been a source of confidence and self-acceptance. “Performing as Ada kind of gives me a sense of being that true diva on stage. I perform the same songs I’ve always sung the same way I always have. But it’s different when you actually look like the diva that is inside you.”

“Becoming Ada taught me I don’t have to hide behind anything,” Vox added. “It’s a weird thing, because I’m getting into drag to say I don’t have anything to hide behind. But I think other queens and LGBT members will understand exactly what I’m saying.”

“American Idol” contestants win the hearts of America not only with their talents, but by putting their own unique spin on performances. In some cases, that means cultivating a persona that has more mass appeal than authenticity.

Not Vox. Whether that will pay off in future shows is to be determined, but, while Vox acknowledges that performing in drag has become that thing to make her stand out against the competition, she’s not really thinking about there being a likability strategy behind it.

“I was never honestly too worried about fitting into a mold,” Vox said. “I was never worried about thinking ‘Hey, this is what America wants to see, so that’s what I should do.’”

“Stepping in as Ada has offered me the opportunity to create my own lane which no one else has ever done, which I think worked to my own advantage. I can say, ‘I’m not going to worry about fitting into your mold. I’m going to create my own and you’re going to like it.’”

“Becoming Ada taught me I don’t have to hide behind anything. It’s a weird thing, because I’m getting into drag to say I don’t have anything to hide behind. But I think other queens and LGBT members will understand exactly what I’m saying.”

Still, Vox, who performs in drag but also appears as Sanders on the show, is aware that not everyone is ready for a drag queen to reach the level of stardom she hopes to achieve. “A lot of people are ready for that,” she said. “I won’t say most of it, but I will say we are moving to a place where talent is talent and love is love. Once people can look past whatever the exterior may be, I think we as a whole will be a lot more ready to move forward in peace.”

Vox told HuffPost that her hopes for her career involve representing the LGBTQ community ? starting off by being “specific to those crowds” ? immediately followed by a mainstream music career and filling arenas around the world. “I want to do something that maybe no LGBT artist has ever done before.”

We, along with fans all over the country, will be watching and waiting for her to do it. Follow Vox here.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ada-vox-american-idol-drag-queen_us_

By Jamie Feldman

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ada-vox-drag-queen-apos-120313109.html

[Unfortunately, Ada was voted off this past week. Too bad. That was one seriously talented human being.]

American Idol 2018 Top 14 Contestants / Top 10 starred…
*Ada Vox
*Cade Foehner
*Caleb Lee Hutchinson
*Catie Turner
*Dennis Lorenzo
*Gabby Barrett
Garrett Jacobs
Jonny Brenns
*Jurnee
*Maddie Poppe
Mara Justine
Marcio Donaldson
*Michael J. Woodard
*Michelle Sussett

[Personal feelings? Dennis wasn’t given a chance. He was the last person to sing on a live vote show – maybe had 5 minutes for people to vote for him. Hopefully some record company will pick him up – or some star will ask him to be an opening act. He was a classy guy with a great voice.]

http://abc.go.com/shows/american-idol/cast/jurnee

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American Idol Recap: Top 7 Revealed as Disney Night Sends Another Trio Home

Because no matter how hard they believed, three contestants saw their American Idol dreams come to an end during Sunday’s special Disney-centric episode. (Seriously, though, why did we ever trust a crazy lady who lived in an attic and sewed clothes for “talking” mice and birds? Reality was never her forté.)

Following 10 magical performances, America chose to send home Ada Vox, Michelle Sussett and Dennis Lorenzo. That leaves Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Gabby Barrett, Michael J. Woodard, Cade Foehner, Maddie Poppe, Catie Turner and Jurnee as this season’s Top 7. [Editor’s note: YAY! Littleton’s Jurnee made it through. Keep voting, folks. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a winner from Colorado??!!]

Now that we’ve suffered through those three unhappy endings — which the show somehow squeezed into its final two minutes, making goodbyes impossible — let’s break down each of this week’s performances:

Maddie Poppe (“Bear Necessities” from The Jungle Book)
Poppe effortlessly transformed this simple, plunky classic into a swingin’ jam befitting her ethereal voice. Though her final performance didn’t quite show off her range as much as her rehearsal led us to believe it would, it was thoroughly enjoyable. And that little breakdown at the end was inspired. Baloo is shook.

Jurnee (“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana)
This stripped-down version of one of Disney’s more recent ballads fit Jurnee’s voice like a glove, and it was clear from her swagger that she’s beginning to feel more comfortable on stage. But just as guest mentor Idina Menzel feared, I think Jurnee’s self-doubt — and I suspect a whole mess of emotions triggered by her wife’s recent deployment in the Army — kept this from being a true showstopper. Not that it wasn’t very, very good!

Cade Foehner (“Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid)
If Sebastian had crooned this classic in the key of Cade, maybe Prince Eric would have kissed Ariel a lot sooner, avoiding that whole giant Ursula debacle (not that I don’t love me some wedding drama). Foehner’s gravelly interpretation of this iconic number couldn’t have taken it in a more different direction — almost the way you’d expect Bruce Springteen or Bryan Adams to do it. I want to see more of “soft Cade.”

Ada Vox (“Circle of Life” from The Lion King)
I still wish she performed “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” but from the moment Miss Ada stepped onto the stage in a full-on Mufasa wig, I knew I was in for a solid consolation prize. And God bless Menzel for suggesting that Ada tone things down in order to showcase the prettier side of her voice. If Ada didn’t win America over with this killer performance, I’m not sure what it would take. (My only issue with this one: Who in the visuals department decided that the best way to illustrate this song was with a terrifying ball of hellfire?)

Michelle Sussett (“Remember Me” from Coco)
At this point, if you don’t see Sussett as a dazzling firecracker of a human, you’re willfully ignoring her talent. Not only did she own every inch of that stage tonight, but from the chill-inducing a capella opener to the emotional climax, she demonstrated the versatility that separates “singers” from “artists.” Don’t @ me, but when Sussett is firing on all cylinders, I feel like I’m watching the second coming of Selena.

[More performances in the article.]

By Andy Swift | TV Line

To see all the performances, click on the below link:
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/american-idol-recap-top-7-020127713.html

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