Reynaldo Lapuz in his passionate 'We're Brothers Forever' song GMANews.TV
MANILA, Philippines - Reynaldo Lapuz, the flamboyant Nevada-based Filipino who breezed his way through the American Idol auditions, has now become an instant Internet sensation, spawning fans all over the world to remix his infectious song, âWeâre Brothers Forever." Reynaldoâs AI Season 7 audition piece was the top favorite of the week, with more than 6,000 hits in the video sharing Web site
YouTube. In fact, his audition piece has become so popular that about five of his now famous video clips landed in the top 10 most favorite for the week, totaling to about 21,000 favorites as of posting time. Since it was uploaded on January 16, Reynaldoâs
seven-minute video has attracted more than 650,000 views (as of 11 pm, Tuesday), which is also among the top views in YouTube for the week. Despite being tagged as the next William Hung, Reynaldoâs indisputable edge seems to be his passionate
a cappella, âWeâre Brothers Forever," which inspired a throng of his admirers to fill the missing music to his power-ballad song.
Elliot Bronson strummed his guitar providing an acoustic theme to Reynaldoâs signature song, while fellow YouTube user,
Rocko, added Pinoy beatbox to give the song a more upbeat hip-hop sound. But perhaps one of the standout remixes to âWeâre Brothers Forever" is the hypnotic
Dance Remix, where two American cheerleaders, complete with matching silver pompoms, are seen gyrating to Reynaldoâs song. These video clips and more can now be seen on
Reynaldoâs official fansite.
The Reynaldo interview âWhile I was watching, I felt nervous, like doing the audition again," Reynaldo said in an
interview with local Dallas TV network, FOX 4 . âOver-to-the-maximum of happiness, really,"Reynaldo said, describing his feeling after the auditions. Reynaldo is optimistic that his AI stint is only the beginning of more blessings in his life, and perhaps, career. âHopefully it would be a continuous progress. I expect, you know, blessingsâ¦," he said. According to Reynaldo, the hit song he wrote for terror-judge Simon Cowell, was meant to spread the word that Simon is a good person who spends millions of dollars just to look for a new talent. Early on in the audition, Simon was unimpressed with Reynaldo, until later, when the terror-judge began waving his hands as if conducting the Filipino singer. Fellow AI judge Randy Jackson became so amused that he called in AI host Ryan Seacrest to listen in on Reynaldo's performance, while fellow Idol judge Paula Abdul danced like a 60s go-go dancer.
No age limit? Reynaldo said his friends prodded him to join the AI auditions. âHey Brother Rey, why donât you join American Idol?" Reynaldo recalled his friends telling him. âThereâs no age-limit, check it again", his friends told him, amid Reynaldoâs hesitation. AI only accepts aspiring singers who are not more than 28 years old. Reynaldo turned 45 last December 18.
The âFlashâ outfit Even before Reynaldo walked in the audition room, Seacrest immediately noticed his outrageous white flashy ensemble. âI donât know what to wear, because in the paper it states dress to impress," Reynaldo said. In the interview, he confessed that it took him two weeks to prepare his costume, inspired by comics hero, Flash, and the film âGladiator." But for his feathered cowboy hat, Reynaldo said Elton Johnâs 1969 hit âSkyline Pigeon" was his inspiration. âThatâs it! Thatâs what made the whole outfit," he said.
- GMANews.TV