Who is Fil-Am ‘American Idol’ finalist Francisco Martin?

MANILA, Philippines – The competition in the 18th season of American Idol is getting tough as the choices are narrowed down to a Top 7.

One of the finalists is Filipino-American singer Francisco Martin, 19, considered one of the singers to beat in the competition. Francisco is the latest Filipino-American singer to try his luck in the show, which has produced the likes of Camille Velasco, Jasmine Trias, Jessica Sanchez, and Malaya Watson. 

Let’s get to know more about Francisco: 

1. He was a college student before joining the competition. In his audition video, Franciso, who was 18, shared he was a student at San Mateo College and was studying pre-law. Judge Luke Bryan told him to drop out and pursue music. 

2. Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan helped calm his nerves. During the auditions, Francsico was so nervous that Lionel and Luke had to come up and help him calm himself down before he started singing. The two, along with Katy Perry, were impressed, with Luke telling People he saw a lot of potential in Francisco.

3. He sang Maggie Rogers’s song “Alaska” – and she tweeted about it. Francisco sang “Alaska” by Maggie Rogers during the auditions. Maggie tweeted: “I CANT HANDLE THIS,” with a video footage of the audition.

I CANT HANDLE THIS https://t.co/q72xqQ8xDP

— Maggie Rogers (@maggierogers) February 14, 2020

Francisco is clearly a fan of Maggie, sharing on his Instagram stories: “oh my jesus @maggierogers I LOVE YOU.”

4. Francisco had to perform from the safety of his homes. In an interview with the Mercury News, Francisco was asked about the pecularity of performances from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s definitely a different experience and, at first, it felt very bittersweet,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of great people (among the fellow contestants) and you want to be there with them — and share the moment with them. On the other hand, I’m just grateful that the show is proceeding. They could have delayed things for a long time, or just canceled it completely.”

5. Francisco is not only a singer, he’s also a songwriter. He recently posted a snippet of his new song “Swollen,” which some followers hoped would soon be streamed on Spotify. His music influences include pop, soul, alternative, and indie.

“I love all genres of music and it’s very difficult to label my original music as one genre. I can’t seem to place it. I get inspired everyday to do different things in my music whether it be in my songwriting, writing melodies or guitar progressions,” he wrote on his website.

– Rappler.com