Meet This Year’s Token Asian American Idol Contestant: John Park

It can’t be a post on 8Asians if we can’t inevitably write about the season’s token contestant. Anoop Desai and Ramiele Malubay? Eh, they were alright. How about Paul Kim or AJ Talbado? Who? Exactly.

So now that we’ve cycled through “the season with the Pacific Islander contestant” and “the season with the South Asian contestant,” we’re at a new Paula Abdul-less season of American Idol, and with it, John Park who — OMG STOP READING IF YOU HATE SPOILERS OMG — becomes this season’s token Asian contestant, if you can trust the American Idol spoiler websites. From the YouTube clip, he wins over Shania Twain and — OH SNAP — sings in a baritone, breaking the barrier that all Asian males must sing like Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men. But how far with he go to become THE American Idol, dear 8Asians readers: will he be our first Asian American Idol, or will he sing something awkward like Careless Whisper and get eliminated?

(Hat tip: Dino)