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November 23, 2011

Brian "Astronomical Kid" Bradley Redeemed

The world watched last week as 15 year-old X Factor USA contestant Astro had what he called "a moment" but most critics called a temper tantrum. After learning that he was in the bottom two and would have to perform again for the judges to decide whether he or Stacy Francis would go home. Brian Bradley did not feel that he should perform for people who had obviously rejected him. There were tears, attitude and for those of us who could see it, some deeply hurt feelings. Presumably, the judges saw his pain because they voted to keep him on the show.

Fans of the hugely popular talent show immediately took to Twitter and Facebook to let the young rapper know how they felt about his emotional display. Most were kind and understanding and offered words of encouragement but many were harsh and quick to tell him that he needed to grow up. They also felt that he should have been sent home... promptly!

Hopefully, the naysayers watched Tuesday night's episode of The X Factor USA and heard the rap delivered by Astro. He was terrific. The theme of the night was being thankful. His rap included an apology and a thank you to his fans, who've dubbed themselves "the Astronauts". He gave a shout-out to locales in America and around the world for supporting him in his quest to become the X Factor. He brought the energy and excitement that hooked his fans at his audition.

This fan was particularly proud of the teen rapper because in the end, he showed more maturity than the adults who accused him of being immature, a brat, ungrateful, disrespectful and a number other of things. Astro owned his mistake, expressed his regret for his actions more than once and returned to the stage and owned that as well with yet another original hip-hop/rap tune.
Watch a recap here
If those who were so critical of this young man had their way, this is what he would have learned from their comments.

-- No one makes mistakes
-- You are not allowed to express hurt or disappointment
-- Teenagers are expected to act like adults
-- You are not deserving of understanding and compassion

Luckily, he learned from the people who know that no one is perfect so everyone makes mistakes yet they can be treated with compassion even when they have shown their vulnerability by exposing hurt feelings. Hopefully, he learned that he should enjoy his youth and not rush into adulthood as that will come in time with loads of responsibilities that he needs to be prepared to handle but not at this moment. He has definitely learned to take responsibility for his missteps, apologize and move forward and be grateful for the people who are supportive of him.

Astro writes original lyrics each week instead of covering some else's material. No disrespect to the other singers (because I am a fan of Melanie Amaro, Rachel Crow, Marcus Canty, Chris Rene and Stacy Francis) but that takes a level of talent not possessed by most. The Astronauts appreciate his amazing talent and I hope that the critics can as well. And well... back up off the kid. He did show and prove.

Wave! Wave! Wave!