DOWNLOAD Jason Castro, Hallelujah (American Idol Performance) MP3

As a contestant during round seven of American Idol in 2008, Jason Castro proved to be one of the more unique personalities on the show. Sporting long dread-locked hair and sparkling blue eyes, the laidback singer was a hit with the girls while winning some credibility with the boys through his un-Idol-like song selections, such as his popular cover version of Hallelujah mp3. Written by Leonard Cohen, this sparse, haunting ballad was made popular by Jeff Buckley, with the song’s darkly poetic lyrics taking on added meaning in light of Buckley’s tragic death at age 30 (an eerie reminder of his father, singer Tim Buckley who had passed away at age 28).