Blogocentric Formulations

You Keep Hope Alive

         

| Day 16 |





"You Keep Hope Alive"
by Mandisa & Jon Reddick

See, 🎄pwheeler joy to the world ? I told you I had a Mandisa track on my playlist this year!

I've been listening to this song a lot over the past year, it's probably my most listened-to worship song aside from "Battle Belongs" . I actually found it on YouTube of all places, on a recommended mix playlist after I had been listening to some Christian songs for a few days. I had never heard of Mandisa (or Jon Reddick) before that, but instantly fell in love with their voices and the collaboration they've put together.

Mandisa is actually from my hometown. She was born and raised in Citrus Heights, which is only about 20 minutes from the Sacramento suburb where I grew up. It was actually where we went to see movies until I was a teenager and a theater opened in a closer suburb. I also didn't realize that she was a contestant on the fifth season of American Idol, where she came in ninth. I also learned (courtesy of Wikipedia) that Simon Cowell apparently fat-shamed her for most of the season, resulting in this remarkable story:

Idol judge Simon Cowell made several comments about Mandisa's weight after her successful audition. He first quipped, "Do we have a bigger stage this year?" Then, when Paula Abdul commented that Mandisa had a "Frenchie" growl to her voice, Cowell responded that a more apt comparison would be to France itself.

When Mandisa presented herself to the judges prior to the final cut-down to the season's 24 semi-finalists, she told Cowell: "What I want to say to you is that, yes, you hurt me and I cried and it was painful, it really was. But I want you to know that I've forgiven you and that you don't need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody. I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you." Cowell told Mandisa that he was "humbled" and apologized to her immediately.