Anotella Barba Pics

An Interview With LA-eX's Antonella Barba, Former 'American Idol' Contestant

“I was working a job with ElectionMall, which is a non-partisan company that have people run for office. I was working as their spokesperson and managing their PR and travelling around the country to conventions and events and stuff… and then I moved back to New Jersey and continued working on my music.”

She then moved to Los Angeles, a dream of hers for as long as she can remember.

Now, Barba is part of electro-dance group ‘LA-eX,’ which is made up of herself and former ‘Crazy Town’ group members Kraig Tyler and Bret Mazur. The result? A badass electronic group with a femme fatale lead.

“I think the opportunity I’m given now is so much more unique and it’s not something you would have ever expected to come from Idol,” says Barba. “It really is such a unique opportunity, and it’s so cool to explore something new and have a chance to do that without being locked in.”

Being locked in is definitely no issue here. The group’s first single, ‘We Give No Fuks,’ is a dance-rap-electro club tune, which boasts lyrics such as “Say what what, turn ya vocals up up, we don’t give a fuk what, tell that bitch to shut up.”

Let’s see her sing that on ‘Idol.’

As fluffy and naive the song seems, though, it is a fresh change from the manufactured robots that usually come out of ‘Idol.’ Not to mention it’s catchy as hell.

I ask her where she got her knack for rapping. She definitely seems natural at it, but it’s unexpected.

“Rapping doesn’t necessarily take signing ability, but it does take rhythmic ability. You have to have a flow, and it’s something I didn’t realize I already knew how to do,” says Barba. “There’s more of a musical aspect to it that I never realized before. ”

Barba has spark, and her lyrics show that she doesn’t care what people think of her. She’s no stranger to controversy either, especially on her ‘Idol’ days, where racy pictures were leaked of her during the competition. I won’t discuss the pictures, because I have respect for her, but let’s just say there’s a fountain involved.

The public was outraged, producers seemed uneasy as to keep her or kick her off the show, but she remained. She persevered. She eventually was voted off, which many believe was a secret ploy by the producers to rid themselves of controversy. I say, their lost.

Worst 'American Idol' Semifinalists' Ever -- #4: Antonella Barba

But it was her week-two performance that really pushed us over the edge, during which she gave a tortuous rendition of the Celine Dion song, 'Because You Loved Me.' The only note she hit was a weird one, which came during her pre-performance interview, when she dedicated the song to, of all people, her brother. The rest of her performance was completely all over the place, and seemed to put the audience, which included her mother, in a swaying, zombie-like trance.

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