Last week in American Idol, Melinda got kicked out, to the surprise of many. She was the most consistent singer in the show. But she still got kicked out.

I know a lot of people say that it’s due to the fact that the other two are younger and appeal to the younger voters more, and well, I can’t argue with that. But there’s another way of viewing it. And here’s my take.

Yes, Melinda is good. And yes she was the most consistent, and that’s a positive. But she didn’t bring anything unique. She is a good singer, a very good one, but that doesn’t stand out. Jordin is younger, more charismatic, she might not give as good performances consistently, but her best performances are better (in my opinion) than Melinda. It’s hard to call between Melinda and Jordin, though. Point being, if you do what others do, it’s harder to stand out, it’s harder to go far.

Blake is unique, he’s different. “There is no one in this competition like you.” is what Paula said about him. And that’s why he’s in the final. He brings something new to the show. He may not be the best singer, but he can do what the others cannot (beatbox). He does things people haven’t seen or heard before, things people don’t expect. It might be a risk, but in order to succeed you have to take risks. In Simon’s words “You don’t play it safe, you take a risk. Good for you”. Blake is willing to take risks, he focuses on what was unique about himself and what he does best, and as such, people notice, he stands out.

What can we learn from this? If you do what others do, you have to really be the best by far. Being different might seem more risky, but it’s worth the risk. Being unique gets you noticed more, and gets you further.