Cumberland singing sensation Julia Gagnon advanced to the top seven on “American Idol” this week with a stirring performance of “Over the Rainbow.”
But as she’s been rising to the top, she’s been fighting a different kind of battle, one against online hatred toward herself and the other contestants she refers to as family.
In an April 30 Instagram post, Gagnon asked fans to refrain from bashing other contestants as they try to promote the ones they like best.
“There’s just no place for hatred amongst this really tight-knit group,” Gagnon said, with a catch in her voice, against a background of quiet piano music.
Gagnon suggested another approach.
“Just spread love, it’s easy to spread love, and if somebody isn’t connecting for you, if you don’t love their performances, you don’t need to say it, just support the people that you love.
“There’s just way too much darkness and hatred in the world, so we don’t need to add to that,” she said.
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Comments on Instagram about Gagnon’s recent performances include a lot of positive feedback, but there’s negativity and mean-spirited criticism too.
The same can be said for the accounts of her fellow contestants. Along with all the accolades comes cruelty from online commenters who seem bent on tainting the joyfulness of the show.
A week ago, Gagnon and Abi Carter, another Idol contestant, posted a video they called “Abi & Julia read hate comments.” In it, they trade off: One takes a huge gulp of water and tries not to laugh while the other reads a negative comment. “We laugh on camera so that we don’t cry off camera,” said Carter.
Both of them cracked up at several of the comments, even though Carter was quick to call out the racism towards Gagnon by reading one comment that said “Why have people on ‘American Idol’ that aren’t American?” Carter was quick to remind viewers that, although Gagnon was born in Guatemala, she’s most certainly an American citizen. Gagnon was adopted when she was 2 and raised in Cumberland.
Gagnon told the Press Herald in March that she endured bullying as a child that made her want to keep quiet rather than sing publicly.
Now a senior at the University of Southern Maine, Gagnon auditioned for the show in the fall and earned a platinum ticket, which guaranteed her a spot in the next round.
She has since made the cut through several weeks of competition.
Gagnon’s next appearance on “American Idol” is Sunday night.
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