8 Things to Know About ‘American Idol’ Fan Favorite Francisco Martin
ABC Reading Time: 4 minutes
Francisco Martin stole the heart of America when he competed on American Idol as Francisco from San Francisco. He went from audition nervous wreck to repeatedly impressing on the stage later in the competition. Here’s seven things to know about him in 2022.
It’s been nearly two years since Francisco auditioned for the 18th season of American Idol. A lot has happened to him since being a standout in the singing competition, here’s everything you need to know.
1. Francisco is Filipino
It’s no secret that this singer is proud of his Filipino heritage. He often covers some of the most iconic songs in Filipino culture. In one video, Francisco is seen performing on the drums with the Filipino band All For Patricia. They covered a song called “Buwan” by JK Labajo. In the video, he is singing in Tagalog, which is the basis of a standardized national language of the Philippines.
2. His Second EP Drops This Summer
On March 25, Francisco released a single called “Nobody Listens To Me!” Alongside the release of the song, Francisco explained its meaning. This new track embodies the insecurities and heartaches he’s experienced since his music career began. He stated that this song helped him see the beauty in his music.
After the release of “Nobody Listens To Me!” the singer published a video teasing an upcoming EP. Within the video he sits on a couch, introduces himself and talks as if he is in therapy. The word “Manic” appears on the screen between a few of his statements. Francisco’s EP Manic releases on July 22.
3. Kiko Martin, His Brother, Also Auditioned For American Idol
Francisco surprised American Idol fans when he returned to stage in season 19. After one year, he joined his brother on stage for his audition. While it was great to see this singer on the series again, the judges didn’t love his brother. Kiko “Japanese Denim” by Daniel Caesar, then asked to bring his guitarist in for a second song. Even though the judges loved the surprise, they didn’t vote Kiko into Hollywood week.
4. This Singer Got a Record Deal Despite Not Winning
This singer revealed in August 2020 that he had signed to 19 Recordings. Since his record deal, he’s released five singles and an EP. That’s a lot of music for a short amount of time! He currently has 167,708 monthly listeners on Spotify.
5. He Shares Mental Health Struggles on Social Media
This singer has always been one to be down-to-earth when it comes to interactions with fans. He doesn’t hold back from talking about difficult topics with them. After competing in the series, Francisco shared an Instagram post revealing that he was struggling with anxiety and depression. To this day he’s open his fans, he shared a similar message along with the announcement of his new EP.
6. He Released a Song With a Fellow American Idol Alum
In 2020, Francisco released “Swollen” with Julia Gargano. This song quickly became a hit since both singers were standout contestants on season 18. Both singers were known as amazing vocalists and writers within the series, so this collaboration was overall pretty incredible.
7. Francisco Wasn’t Always a Singer
Francisco began listening to his dad’s favorite music in the car at age six. He pulled inspiration from Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, The Eagles, and more. At age nine his dad gifted him a drum set. It was this drum set that really began it all for him. His family knew him as a drummer until he sang at his brothers birthday party.
8. He Writes His Own Songs
The second half of his American Idol audition showed off a little of his song writing on the series. Francisco played an original song for the judges that he wrote about his “friend” from Australia. Katy Perry noted that it didn’t sound like this person was actually a friend, but Francisco insisted. To this day he continues to post snippets of his original songs about “friends” on TikTok.
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