Finalists must be tough to be next 'American Idol'

The "American Idol" judges have changed their tunes since I was on the show.

While there have been some insults tossed at finalists this season, for the most part the judges have gone overboard trying to be constructive. They've said, "That was hideous, and here's why. ..."

People often ask me, "What was the most negative comment you received from the judges?"

Constructive criticism was rare when I was on the show. But I actually gained a lot of insight from hearing, "That was pitchy, dog."

In Season 2, the criticism seemed to be about the shock value. "American Idol" was still fairly new, and a lot of people tuned in just to hear Simon Cowell's mean comments.

Comments like, "That was ghastly," and "Absolutely dreadful" were directed at me. But I also heard him say, "You justified my pick," "You could replace the lead singer in the Dixie Chicks" and "You're unique."

But it was the negative comments I really remembered. They really affected my self-esteem for several years, but they helped me develop a "fighter" attitude.

This season, some finalists have been criticized simply for their song choice. Amanda Overymyer tried to rock out with "Wayward Son" but had a hard time staying on tune. "There were too many instrumental breaks, too much melody," Randy Jackson said. "Keep it bluesy rock. That's your bag!"

When Alaina Whitaker sang "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (a song I sang on "Idol"), Simon said, "It was as if your grandmother prepared you for this audition! It was old-fashioned."

In Season 2, Simon would've stopped right there. But this week, he went on to compliment her. "I think you're one of the dark horses in this competition. You've got to sort yourself out and become relevant."

For the most part, I've agreed with the judges' criticism. But on Wednesday, I thought Syesha Mercado nailed it with an awesome rendition of "Me and Mr. (Mrs.) Jones." But the judges weren't on the same page.

Paula Abdul at least liked how Mercado styled it (although Paula likes how everyone styles his or her songs), but it was Simon's comment that baffled me: "It was a bit indulgent. I thought it was a silly choice (of song) because it wasn't written for a girl."

But sometimes the judges say things just to see how you — and the audience — will react. They want to see if they can break your composure.

One week, Simon told me I "couldn't win the competition." (I was voted off the following night!)