American Idol Interview

After the giddiness of Wednesday's results show wore off a little, but before preparations for albums and touring start in earnest, American Idol winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert jumped on the phone with reporters again this morning for one last look back at their journeys on the show. Both definitely seemed to be looking to the future — conceptualizing their albums, writing or co-writing some songs — but were willing to share some highlights of their time on Idol, too. Here are highlights — first from Kris, then from Adam.

• Nothing can top singing with Queen. "Seriously, it was probably the best moment of the year for me, because I just felt like it was the exhale of everything," Kris said. "We had a great time together — how can you not have a great time singing when Brian May is right next to you? It felt great."
• Preparation is key. "I've always kind of been a procrastinator," Kris said, "but on the show I felt that the times I worked the hardest were the times that I did the best. I think the biggest thing that I've learned is that the harder you work for the thing that you love the most, then everything you want is going to come true."
• Kris doesn't buy the report that he won in a landslide. "Come on, Adam was a huge frontrunner for the whole thing," he said. "I know that there were plenty of people voting for him."
• Neither he nor Adam liked their performances of "No Boundaries" on Tuesday. "I think that [the judges] were not trying to judge us on that song, more than anything, and judge us on the year," Kris said of the comments after the final performance. "I think both of us just got tired and there were some sound issues where we couldn't hear ourselves. It was definitely a rough night at the end."
• Not getting shown in the audition rounds is just par for the course. "I think there was maybe a little bit of just like, 'Wow, they're not showing me,'" Kris said of his reaction to not seeing himself in the early episodes. "I felt like I had done my thing, and a lot of people were getting shown. But that's kind of the way I live my life, though. I'm kind of laid-back and low-key, and every once in a while, I'll stick my head out."
• What he wants now is respect. "The only thing that I really want to do is just be respected in the industry and have my music be respected," he said, "whether that means selling albums or winning Grammys or just people liking your music."

For some final words from Adam, just read more

You heard Adam Lambert and Kris Allen sing for the American Idol crown — but what did the two finalists have to say about their performances? After Tuesday's competition ended, Adam and Kris headed backstage to give reporters some thoughts on the night.

The two looked completely comfortable with each other, laughing and joking around and pointing to each other anytime someone asked who was going to win. That probably makes sense: the two were roommates throughout the finals (though for the last month they've had separate rooms) and often sat in on each other's rehearsals to give feedback and critiques.

Both contestants thought their first performance of the night was among the strongest. Kris said he felt comfortable singing "Ain't No Sunshine" because he'd already rehearsed it for the previous show; Adam, meanwhile, said he liked changing up the wardrobe and staging of his "Mad World" performance while keeping it mostly the same song. Adam also said he was pleasantly surprised with producer Simon Fuller's choice of "A Change Is Gonna Come" for him: "I wouldn't have picked that for myself right now," he said, "but when Simon gave it to me, I looked at the words and it really moved me, and I felt like I connected to it."

Kris said he and Adam both seem to be dealing with fame well: "Both of us are kind of chill guys," he said, so they're handling things OK. But Kris did say that singing in front of 20,000 people on his homecoming visit was pretty overwhelming. That's probably just a taste of what's to come for the two of them on tour this Summer, regardless of who wins.

The two of them were whisked away fairly quickly, but not before Adam had time to drop the line of the night in response to one reporter's shouted question about which of the guys looks better naked: "We don't get naked together," he said with a laugh. "Sorry!"

Photo courtesy of Fox

Danny Gokey was an early favorite on American Idol this season, but his path stopped just short of the finale when he was eliminated on Wednesday. This morning, he spoke with reporters about his big post-Idol dreams: the Milwaukee-based singer said he wants to "start a movement" with his music, combining it with the goals of Sophia's Heart Foundation, which he started in honor of his late wife. He also sized up Kris and Adam heading into next week's finale and clarified that no, he's not taking money from LensCrafters for making that heart symbol with his hands. Here are highlights:

• On the pressure of being an early favorite: "I felt like I had so much on me in the beginning of the show that I had to outdo myself every week. . . . I'm still growing as a musician, yet people expect this to come out of me, and I felt at times like I just wasn't there yet. . . . Maybe people got disappointed, like, 'Man, I thought you were better than that.'"
• On his much-discussed "Dream On" scream: "I was actually thinking about that this morning — I was like, maybe that was kind of like the downfall. I really wanted to have a big song that week and I took a big risk. . . . So late in the competition, you don't want to have a performance like that. Everything in that performance was good up to that point."
• On sizing up Kris and Adam for the finale: "Kris, you know, obviously he's really artistic, and Adam has a way on the show of capturing the audience. . . . This competition is not over yet. I feel like it's going to be a very tight race this next week. . . . One thing in my book about Kris is that he's very mellow, and that's one character trait I've always wanted. I'm an intense personality at times. Adam, he's just a great guy. I really can't fault him on anything. I think Adam is who he is onstage and who he is offstage. He's very creative — he lives creative, he dresses creative, he talks from that perspective."
• On what he learned about himself from Idol: "I learned a lot about how pressure has an effect on a person. For me, this whole experience, I learned to overcome things in my life — overcome insecurities, overcome doubts. Sometimes you really didn't want to go out on that stage — I felt maybe unprepared, or 'Wow, is anyone going to like what I'm doing?' When I had the good performances, especially this past week, I was so thankful."

To see what Gokey had to say about making his Idol songs fit his style, what his album might sound like, and what he hopes his musical future will be, just read more

Allison Iraheta managed to hold down the fort for the ladies for a few weeks on American Idol, but this week, voters sent her home. It was a bit of a surprising elimination after her fairly strong showing on rock night, but on the phone with reporters today, the teenager with the fire-red hair didn't seem too bummed about being out. In the interview, she talked about being the little sister to the remaining contestants, revealed why she finally talked back to the judges, and even said she and Adam are planning to do their "Slow Ride" duet on this Summer's Idol tour. Here are highlights:

• On whether her elimination took her by surprise: "I've been in the bottom three so many times, and I was just really prepared for everything. When it was down to me and Danny I was like, 'Well, it's either him or me.'"
• On why she finally talked back to Simon: "Every week it was, I'm boring, I have no personality. I was like, 'OK, Simon.' I'm really not the kind of person who talks back, but just — on the show [on Tuesday], he's like, 'Start begging,' and I was like, 'You know what, that's it.' I really just felt it was the perfect time to stand up for myself, and I was like 'All right, I'm not who you say I am! I'm not boring. And you say I don't talk, so I might as well just talk.'"

On getting eliminated in the same position as Chris Daughtry: "It made me feel better. He's done so much. He's done well, and it's really like, if he's done well and he didn't have to make it all the way to the top, it gives me a chance. I hope I do as well as he does."

• On her relationship with the older contestants in the house: "It was so fun. Say they were having just a little argument, and I'd be like 'Yeah!' and they'd be like, 'Boo! Stay out of this! You're only 12 years old!' . . . It was like a family. I really felt like all of their little sisters."

To see how Allison responded to comments about her style and learn what was her favorite piece of feedback from the judges, just read more

The judges saved Matt Giraud once, but nothing could keep him from going home in fifth place on American Idol on Wednesday. Just a few hours later, the latest eliminee hopped on the phone with reporters to discuss his comparisons to Justin Timberlake, his musical goals, and getting the first-ever judges' save. Here are highlights:

• On his historic save: "I can't wait to see my name on a trivia card. I feel blessed, honored, and you know what? Being saved, I never felt so much love in a room before. I think it was one of the coolest moments in my life . . . I really didn't know people felt that passionately about me. Even one of the security guards told me he'd never heard the room get so loud."
• On whether he thinks the save should come back next season: "Yeah, for sure. It's a great thing. I don't think it was a waste of time at all, because it shows people that the judges can see something in someone."
• On what he would have done if he'd had to choose between the two groups on the elimination show: "I would have pulled an Archuleta and just sat down."
• On how he envisions his musical career: "I'd actually like to get more into the rock, or some soulful rock, maybe a twist of blues on it. I'd love to see myself as a lead man with a piano and a band around me, touring and doing good music, maybe like the likes of Gavin DeGraw and The Fray."
• On getting criticism from the judges when he performed exactly those sorts of songs: "I still picked the songs even if they were more rock-y. I still picked them if they moved me and I loved singing them. At the end of the day, I'm not going to change what I like . . . I got tons of emails and comments about those songs from fans saying that they loved them, so that kind of reassured me a little bit."

To hear about the Timberlake comparisons and the best moments in the Idol mansion, just read more

For the past several weeks on American Idol, early favorite Lil Rounds had been struggling with criticism from the judges that she wasn't showing off who she was as an artist. Maybe those comments finally got to voters, because Rounds was sent home on Wednesday alongside Anoop Desai. In a call with reporters on Thursday, Rounds said she had a pretty good feeling she'd be heading home but didn't fault the judges for their criticism. Here are highlights:

• On whether she felt the judges had turned against her: "I don't think it was like that at all. . . I felt like they were giving me constructive criticism to improve me. It was OK because in the end, I'm going to take everything that they gave me and push forward with it, because I definitely have some albums to come out, and everything they gave me is going to make that a great success."
• On charges that she didn't make songs her own: "When I would hear that, I automatically, first of all, thought that I did make it my own, especially vocally. But I guess they wanted me to do more of a change as far as music-wise. Whenever I would do a song I always stayed true to the way the music went. . . Vocally, I felt like I did do some changing because I wanted it to make sure it fit who I was as an artist. I'm sorry the judges didn't quite agree with that per se, but they never took anything away from me. I felt that I knew who I was as an artist and I felt I made it my own."
• On why she argued with Simon on movie night: "It seemed to me like [the critiques] started going back and forth — one week they'd tell me one thing, and the next week they'd tell me the opposite of that and flip it. I wanted to make it clear — not to go toe to toe with Simon or the judges or anything like that —but I wanted America to know that I really am an artist . . . and I love to do the R&B, the soulful vibe."

To hear what Rounds learned from Idol and how she felt about her ever-growing hair, just read more

Anoop Desai has been something of an American Idol survivor this season. He needed the 13th finalist twist to get into the finals, then made it through several close scrapes with the bottom. This week, though, it was his turn to say goodbye. Earlier today, Desai hopped on the phone with reporters to reflect on his Idol experience, his next steps, and the North Carolina food he's craving most. Here are highlights:

• On having a feeling he might be going home: "I think we always think about that sort of stuff on the inside. It's amazing how many people out of that group were sure that they were going home last night. It was really a toss-up, I think."
• On the biggest thing he learned from Idol: "I think I really learned how to bounce back from things. A lot of times I'm really hard on myself, because if I don't live up to my own standards, then to me, the way I used to look at it was as a failure. What I've really learned is how to bounce back from my mistakes and how to learn from them."
• On his future plans: "I'm definitely going to pursue a music career. if I learned nothing else from this experience, it's that singing is what I am the happiest doing. I think it's what I do the best. And I'm looking forward to releasing that pop/R&B album. I really like the things, for instance, that Ne-Yo is doing right now . . . I'm really interested in pursuing that direction. One of the best comments I got was Kara's which is when she said she could hear [the uptempo "Dim All the Lights"] on the radio, because that's what I was striving for."
• On singing on the Idol stage one final time: "That was the easiest performance I've ever done, and hopefully that's going to be how it is on tour. There's something about the burden of having four people sitting in front of you that you know are your harshest critics. With that burden, relieved I was free to sing the song with personality — which sounds strange to say, but that's the freest I've ever been on stage."

To hear how Anoop liked the Idol mansion and what songs are on his wish list, just read more

Scott MacIntyre, the latest singer to be eliminated from American Idol, hopped on the phone with reporters today to talk about his experience on the show and his plans for a music career going forward. He joked about bringing out "my shredder" for the power-pop Survivor tune that turned out to be his farewell song, opened up about his songwriting (which ranges from adult-contemporary tunes to punk to jazz), and generally sounded upbeat about his future in music. Here are highlights:

• On his reaction to the judges' decision not to save him: "I was actually very thrilled to know that it was a split decision between the four judges. That was a very nice thing to walk away with. . . . I also sensed that there was some inner turmoil in [Simon] making that decision."
• On getting criticized for playing guitar after Paula asked him to come out from behind the piano: "My decision to play the guitar this last week was more based on the fact that I wanted to shock America a little bit than it was on Paula's comment about coming out from behind the piano. But it is a very common thing — they tell you one thing one week [and the next week the opposite]. Some of the criticism is undue, but I respect the judges."
• On the lessons he's learned from Idol: "I really learned that, No. 1, I worked more quickly than I ever thought I could. There's a very fast-paced atmosphere involved with Idol, and preparing new songs each week — sometimes a couple of songs because of the group number — and because of things going on in the midst of shopping and Ford shoots and mentor shoots — it's crazy and it's really taught me to budget my time extremely well."
• On what made him think he could be an American Idol: "From the very beginning I have felt that I have a story to share through my music, and because of my life story and what I have overcome, and because I have pursued music as my main passion. . . . All of that combined, I felt it would be a shame not to share that with the world. Idol has given me the platform I've been hoping for for many years."

To hear why Scott auditioned for Idol this year and what he'll miss most about the other singers, just read more

American Idol's own rockin' robin, Megan Joy, took to the phones on Wednesday to talk about her elimination, the caw-ing, and her comments about not caring what Simon said. She said she woke up on Wednesday "feeling like I was going to go home no matter what" and decided to make the most of her last few Idol moments because part of her was ready to leave the show and go home to her son. Here are highlights:

• On her "I love you, Simon, but I just don't care" comment: "I cared about the competition — I didn't want people to misunderstand me not caring. I just didn't care that Simon didn't like my songs."
• On the caw-ing: "I love birds and bird noises. I just decided that if I'm going out, I'm going out with a bang. I'm just going to be myself. So I flew the whole time. . . . [The other contestants] said, 'Meg, if you go tonight, we're gonna caw for you, we're gonna support you,' so I was like, 'Don't you forget to caw.'"
• On her brother yelling at Kara: "I'm always proud of my brother. He's my boy, and he's like me — he just can't help but be himself. I wasn't surprised at all that he did it. It just cracks me up. I was pleased that Kara ended up taking it lightheartedly. . . . I think she was kind of like, 'How dare you? Who do you think you are?' And then she was like, 'Wait, who are you?' and he was like, 'Her brother!' and she was like, 'Oh, I see.'"
• On the biggest lesson she learned from Idol: "I learned that there's always gonna be negative people — haters if you will — trying to bring you down, but you've just got to forget about that and move past it always."

To hear about her (quirky, no surprise) dream job and what she planned to sing next week, just read more

The latest American Idol elimination wasn't one of the season's more shocking ones — and especially when it came down to Matt Giraud vs. Michael Sarver, it makes sense that our oil rig worker would be the one to go. Today, Sarver hopped on the phone with reporters to talk about singing through illness, the kind of album he hopes to record, and his goofy basketball games with Anoop and Danny. He said he'll be leaving the oil rig and working hard on pursuing a music career, but he also sounded happy to be headed home to his family. Here are highlights:

• On what he showed America about his musical potential: "I really do actually feel like I showed that, No. 1, I'm not as country as most people thought, and No. 2, there's a lot of soul in me. It doesn't matter if you mix soul with rock, pop, or R&B, there's soul. . . . I never give less than 110 percent when I'm performing, and I believe that I showed that."
• On whether he thought the judges might save him: "I actually didn't think they would save me. I really appreciate the fact that they considered it based on my performance the second night and how they complimented me. . . . But I felt like it wasn't going to happen, mostly because of Simon's previous comments the night before of feeling I couldn't really win the show."
• On his reaction to Simon saying he couldn't win: "You now, it didn't really tick me off nor did it insult me, but it did kind of make me giggle because he knows better than that. We all didn't get there by mistake . . . I would not have been surprised if I'd gone home with the guys to the mansion and been back next week."
• On singing "Ain't Too Proud to Beg": "I saw that song coming weeks ago when I knew Motown week was gonna happen. I had that song in my head from the beginning. I'm very proud of my decision to sing that song. . . . I was very disappointed in the fact that certain elements of my health really got in the way of me giving the song what I believed it deserved, but no doubt I'm proud of the decision, and even if my voice wasn't 100 percent my heart was."

For Sarver's thoughts on reuniting with his family and meeting Smokey Robinson, read more