‘American Idol XIV’ video: Samuel Prince recreates a telenovela with Jennifer Lopez

We cannot quite figure out if we find the “American Idol” audition below to be annoying or entertaining. We appreciate that contestants are coming into these auditions with a goal to stand out, but there’s a difference between a cheesy gimmick and taking something a little too far.

Was Samuel Prince a little much? We’ll say that what we didn’t like was that he referred to Harry Connick Jr. as “Henry,” which is pretty awful for someone who is already asking for a big favor in staging some big telenovela scene. Having Jennifer Lopez slap him at least made for a fun TV moment, but we’re starting to feel like the judges are basically beholden to do whatever these contestants ask for just because they don’t want to look like jerks on TV. Since when did auditions turn into a chance for you to go in and do whatever you want?

If Samuel was a super-strong singer, we probably wouldn’t mind his antics as much. Unfortunately, we’re not sure his “As Long as You Love Me” cover was that strong. It felt like his range was limited, and he did not have a whole lot of firepower behind his voice. We’re not sure that all of this hype ended up being worth it. Maybe J.Lo will give him a “yes” vote, but we wouldn’t put him through to Hollywood based on what little we heard here.

Hopefully, the rest of the audition episode will make up for it with an array of talent that doesn’t spend so much time staging something that is completely irrelevant. In between this and the slow-dance earlier this season, we are good.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxzxcNVrwp8