American Idol: May 2008 Archives

Davd Cook sang his number one hit on "The Today Show" on Thursday morning. This guy is on fire right now!

Not only is Cook a big star, he also has a big heart. Amid all of this hubbub, he took the time to visit fellow Top 24 contestant Luke Menard, who was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

The "Idol" champ said to People.com: "I love Luke and I just wanted to show up and make sure that he understood that I love him and know that if there's anything I can do for him and his wife, sign me up, you know? Luke, Michael Johns, Jason Yeager and myself, we kind of buddied up one day at Hollywood week. We called ourselves the four horsemen. Any time one of your own is going through something as horrible as that, it makes everything else seem a little bit insignificant."

David Cook and David Archuleta have been on some kind of media blitz since "American Idol" ended Wednesday. So by the time they got around to doing some interviews with print journalists like me early Friday morning, I expected them to be running on fumes.

Runner-up Archleta, 17, admitted that he was "out out of it" but Cook, the surprise champion, sounded fresh and focused. After his win, he stayed awake through the night, started doing live TV shows before dawn and "I got an hour nap in midway through the day."

I wondered how the heck these guys managed to perfect the three songs they did during the Tuesday night finale as well as all of the duets and group numbers they had to learn for the results show Wednesday.

Cook, as the winner, also had to perform as additional song: "They made it very very easy for us. With everything going on, it's just a matter of focusing on each song at a time...It's just taking a step back and going one moment at a time."

It's a good thing the lyrics are on a teleprompter!

As for Archuleta, the workload was even more intense since, as a high school junior, he still had to spend part of the day with school work: "As the weeks went on, we had more songs to learn," "This final week was the busiest of all. It was hard to find time to even rehearse and stuff, along wuith school and everything else going on."

Here are some other tidbits:
Archuleta on his controversial father who was banned from rehearsals toward the end of the season: "I hadn't heard really much of it until later on. I tried to stay away from the press...I didn't like to hear anything on the news good or bad. I wanted to stay myself...I wanted to keep who I was, the normal teenage David...There were really weird things, like he refused to give me water. That's the weirdest thing. I'm 17 and if I want water, I'm pretty sure I'd just go and get it anyway...I'm old enough to have enough control over myself...He's a great guy. There isn't really anything he's done that's bad like the things that have been spoken about him. My family has just been so supportive and kept me grounded...They get what I love about music and how it's changed my life."

Cook on beating Archuleta by 12 million votes:"I think the number is actually very misleading...I thought Archie was probably a lttle bit ahead of me...There's a lot of conspiracy theories out there. I attribute the finale vote just to my fans being awesome...(Archuleta) handled himself with a lot of grace. He's just an amazing, amazing human being."

Archuleta on Cook's victory: "I think he just deserved it so much. He deserved to be the American Idol. He's such a great guy too. My main priority wasn't to win the competition, it was just to do my best...We both gave it all, we just poured it all on that stage on Tuesday night and we both feel really good about it."

Cook on his first post-"Idol" record: "I think it's gonna be a mixture of my writing and hopefully writing with some other people. I just want to come out of the gate with some good music. It will probably be a rock record...I just want to make a record that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up."

Archuleta on his future: "Even after this interview I still have to go to school. School is really important. It was my main priority before this...I wasn't sure if I was able to get anywhere with music...You never know how long it will last. I want to do music all my life, I just don't know if I'll be able to do music the rest of my life."

Many had compared Cook to previous fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry, the biggest-selling non-winner in "Idol" history. Some suggested that not winning the title would havre been better for David's rock and roll cred.

"I think to go into this with the idea that you don't want to win is a huge slap in the face to the 103,000 people who auditioned this season that really wanted to win. ... As far as having more success by not being a winner, I think that's something that'll get played out hopefully in the next couple of years. I think Daughtry's success is amazing. And so for me, right now, I'm not trying to be Daughtry. I'm just trying to put out a solid record."

He may have had a cold but I didn't notice...look and sounded GREAT!!!

David Cook (above) wins this contest too but both commercials are lotsa fun. What's so cute is that while Cook wears briefs as Tom Cruise did in the scene from "Risky Business," they have the 17-year-old David Archuleta (who looks 14!) in boxers!

Randy Jackson had it so right: "You're both winners baby!" David Cook triumphed over David Archuleta. Cook was a class act. He wept: "I'm absoilutely at a loss for words right now...this is amazing...thank you." I'm shocked that Simon apologized to the champ because he felt he might have been almost disrespectful to him last night (he musta seen the way the wind was blowing).

The younger David took it like a champ, smiling broadly, looking happy to have it all over with knowing he too is embarking on a huge career. He knew he absolutely gave it all that he had Tuesday night when he really did outsing his rival.

Here are some of my thoughts on the telecast: I really liked Graham Nash and Brooke White singing "Teach Your Children"and the medleys the top six girls and top six guys did with Donna Summer and Bryan Adams, respectively....Jason Castro reminded us why he made it to top five in the first place with "Halelujia"...The Guitar Hero commercial with David Cook emulating Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear in "Risky Business" is brilliant! David Archuleta's version shown later in the telecast paled in comparison...Reigning champ Jordin Sparks returns the the scene of her great triumph and underwhelms me. Maybe it was just the song...Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. as Pips singing with Gladys Knight. Pretty funny. Downey looks HOT. I'd rather see her with the real Pips though (the money from downloads from iTunes will go the charity)...Carrie Underwood did a song wearing some odd outfit. She does nothing for me. Zippo. Zilch....George Michael made a dramatic entrance, looked and sounded great!!!

Here is the moment:

And the winner is

I'm stuck in the newsroom waiting for "American Idol" results for tomorrow's print column. Just found this clip of my favorite performance from last night's finale...

And here is David Archuelta's first song "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (also very good)

They gotta fill in two hours with something besides crowning David Archuleta champion tonight on "American Idol." You know I love David Cook but he was done-in my his song selection last night.

So Marc Malkin of E!Online reports exclusively that George Michael will be the surprise musical guest tonight! I'm really glad to see George doing things like "Idol" and ABC's "Eli Stone" because he had been squandering his talents and goodwill with the public with those arrests etc.

Marc writes: Earlier this week, producer Nigel Lythgoe refused to reveal who the artist would be, only saying that the "biggest star in the world" was coming to Idol. The appearance will time in nicely for the former Wham! frontman, who starts a 20-city tour on June 17 in San Diego in support of his recently released two-disc CD, Twenty-Five.

That was fun! David Archuleta is scary good, was scary focused and I'll be shocked if he is not crowned winner tomorrow night. But David Cook is my guy, the one I want to see in concert, whose CD I want. Here is my round-by-round take on how things went down during tonight's finale:

Clive Davis' Pick:Round 1:
Cook: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
This is one of my favorite songs not only because I'll never forget seeing U2 sing it in concert at the LA Coliseum in 1988, but because Cher has opened a million of her concerts with it. Cook sang it as well as anyone with energy and confidence. I loved the way he kicked things off. It was really a case of a song and a singer being beautifully matched.

Archuleta: "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
He pulled out the stops on this and gave the perfect kind of finale performance. The judges were wild for it. I personally prefer Cook in this round but can understand why Simon Cowell said the first round went to this David.

(BTW, Simon's opinion mattered even more than usual tonight because he was the only judge who seemed to be able to assess the performances. Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul were mostly just full of hyerbole.)

Round 2: (Songwriting competition)
Cook: "Dream Big"
A real, rock-solid performance but he is hurt a bit in this round because the song itself is not stellar, not very memorable.

Archuleta: "In This Moment"
He sold the hell out of it, hitting all his notes and just soaring. I was really impressed with his performance in this round on a song that is not well known. I agree with Simon that David A. chose the better song, one that he was able to make memorable.

Round 3: (Personal choice)
Cook: "The World I Know"
This is where he loses the competition. It was a nice, controlled performance but this song did not end things with a bang. Simon said he should have sung "Billie Jean" or "Hello." In response, Cook said he looked at it "as a progression and why do something I've already done." Why? Because it could have helped you win! But winning isn't going to be everything for Cook because what he did was make us want to buy any record he makes.

Archuleta: Imagine"
He picked perfectly, a sure-thing that reminds people of his best performance and brings things full circle. All he had to do was not screw it up and he did not. Randy said he is "exactly what this show is all about." Simon; Tonight, I think we witnessed...you came out here tonight to win and what we have witnessed is a knockout."

I gotta agree...

I got a call this afternoon from season one runner-up Justin Guarini, host of TV Guide Channel's "Idol Tonight" and resident celebrity blogger for Fancast.com. We gabbed about David vs. David.

"I think it's going to be the smallest margin of victory in 'Idol' history," Justin said. "It's the first time we've seen two guys go head-to-head since Clay (Aiken) and Ruben (Studdard) and that was very close. Like (in season 2, their differences make the competition that much more exciting."

Justin, who will be touring this summer begins hosting a show on blogtalkradio.com June 3, was forbidden from predicting a winner but he did share his impressions of the finalists.

On David Cook: "What I like about Cook is his experience and above everything else, his musicianship. He's a fantastic musician and has taken all the curveballs thrown at him with the different genres and made himself very comfortable, arranging the songs to suit him perfectly."

Of David Archuleta, Justin said: "The fact is he has the voice of a 30 year old and the musicianship of a 30 year old vocalist in a 17 year old's frame. He's absolutely masterful with his interpretation of songs."

He thinks both Davids are destined for major musical stardom because "they both have the ability to accompany themselves and to write music. With the way 'Idol' is set up now, they are both virtually guaranteed success."

Yeah, I'm ready for it to end too! As much as I've enjoyed covering "Idol" this season, the finale pitting David Archuleta against David Cook comes just in time. I think it's anybody's game going in. Cook deserves to win but Archuleta - also very worthy - is wildly popular with young girls, the audience that votes the most.

So, an e-mail came over the weekend that the finalists would be available for brief telephone interviews Monday afternoon. The timing would be perfect and I had some questions: "David Cook, do you sometimes want to just stuff the other David - a high schooler - into your pocket?" "David Archuleta, how many times, on average, do you think you blink your eyes during each performance?"

But the interviews were canceled at the last minute. Something about having to practice for the finale. Whatever. But we were provided with these canned quotes which aren't so bad as canned quotes go:
Archuleta on performing tonight on the stage at the Nokia compared to singing on the American Idol stage:"I don't think it'll be too different because the audience is still going to be big on the other side of the camera, watching on TV, so while there's more people live, I don't know. I guess I'll have to see once I go and rehearse and stuff."

On getting advice from people: "Every single person always has something good to say, from Cook to the people helping us out, to family, to friends, to just people you meet and fanmail. People always have some good stuff to say."

Is being an American Idol finalist anything like he thought it was going to be? "No it's not because I didn't even think I would be a finalist so that's already the difference right there and then just how crazy and busy it is and I didn't realize how tiring it is. I thought I'd have time to prepare for the finale and this is the week where we've gotten the least amount of time to really prepare and it's like the most tiring on your voice but hopefully it will all pull together for (Tuesday)."

Cook on singing on the stage at the Nokia compared to singing on American Idol stage: "You know, it's interesting. I've always been really kind of confused by the idea, like the smaller the crowd for me, the more nervous I tend to get. Having the Nokia full, should be great. But you know, win or lose; I think we both win, so for me now it's just kind of enjoying the moment."

Did his experience on Idol match what he expected" "It's busier than I thought it was going to be. And so for me, the learning process has just been kind of like watching the stuff that takes place that people never get to see. Just, more than anything, just kind of the relationships that form. I remember at the beginning of the season, I always wondered why we all cried when people went home, and it's like, you know, some of these people we've known almost a year now, so it's definitely been an experience though for sure."

Is happy just to be in the Idol finals? "You know, to be where I was at before, now to be standing on the finale stage and have, a 50 percent chance of my name being called, is pretty heavy, you know. So for me, it's just, either way, I'm content."

Good luck guys!

Syesha Mercado won't be competing for the title of "American Idol" next week but on Thursday, she had to be the happiest third-place finisher in the show's history. Week after week this dynamic performer dodged the elimination bullet until it was just her - the underdog - and favorites David Archuleta and David Cook left standing.

I had to know how she handled being among the bottom three vote-getters so many times with such poise and wondered if she had her bags packed each and every results show day.

"Every week is new. And I never packed my bag," she said. "They told us, 'You got to pack your bags.' I'm like, 'I'm not packing my bags because I don't want to go home yet. I'm not ready.' So I think if you want something, it's going to happen for you. If you want to be top three, you're going to get top three. If you want to win, you're going to win. Whoever is the most passionate, they're going to win. Whichever David's the most passionate, they're going to win. So every week, like I said, I set a goal, and I just wasn't ready to go home. I didn't pack my bags because I wasn't ready."

Syesha told me she dealt with the pressure by just talking to her family a lot and said they really helped her stay strong.

"I tried my best to pray before every performance and get that positive energy flowing and hold everybody's hand and be like, "Burst of energy and positivity." I just tried to clear my mind. You become stronger and stronger. And just being there, I just think I got a lot stronger every week.

Judges Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell thought Syesha had chosen poorly by singing the Peggy Lee song "Fever" on Tuesday night believing a powerful show-stopper would have left a stronger impression among voters.

She didn't come out and say she regretted singing the song but she did tell me she did the best she could on that number.

"You can't do everything. So I made up in my mind that I wanted to do a song that was performance-driven, so that's why I did that," she explained. "I had other choices in mind, but I couldn't do them, so - maybe if I had a chance to do them, I wouldn't have got that comment, but you go with the flow. If you can't do something, you do something else. You just work with that. So I did that song, and I have no regrets. It works out the way it was supposed to work out."

So what is next for this performing dynamo who will most certainly be one of the most popular draws on the "American Idol" tour this summer?

"Well, as I tell people, I want to do everything, and I'm really goal-oriented, so I know that whatever goal I set, it can be accomplished, whether it's within a year span or whatever, ten year(s)," she said. "So I want to make an album. I want to star in a film. I want to do Broadway. I want to open up an organic restaurant, and like a lupus foundation, homeless foundation. It just depends on what comes first, but I have goals that I want to do, and I write them down and going to continue to look at them. Basically, whatever opportunity comes first and what's the best career move for me, that's pretty much what's going to happen"

ONLINE BONUS: I mentioned in last night's post about Syesha's father and his struggles with drugs. She addressed it during this conference call with me and a group of other journalists: "Well, the struggles that we go through, I've always seen it as it can either make you or break you. And for me, it made the strong person that I am. It made the sincere, humble person that I am. Having my dad struggle through that, it really, really - it really made me sad a lot of my life. It actually made me understand people more and be more.... I told myself that I'm not going to let this determine what my future is going to be. I'm going to do something good. And I'm going to help my dad and encourage him and be there for him. And I'm going to make him proud, so that he wants to make me proud, and that's exactly what he's doing now. He sees me doing something good, and it's really motivating him to stay sober and stay clean. And it's just a beautiful story to tell."

Love. This. Girl.

As predicted, David Archuleta and David Cook will compete for the title of "American Idol" next week and THAT will be a final not to be missed! It'll be epic, a real battle of the titans. Syesha Mercado seemed prepared for the inevitable and was radiant even though it was her elimination night. As well she should be. Third place out of more than 100,000 people who tried out. I'll be among those interviewing Syesha tomorrow morning and I look forward to hearing what she has to say about her experience.

And I wonder who Syesha thinks will win next week? Will it be David the boy or David the man? As Simon Cowell said: "I think we're gonna have a real humdinger next week"

Since there are no performances to recap, I took notes on each of the hometown visits.

David Archuleta: After watching David A's hometown trip back to Utah, it was clear that this guy has already won the competition. The girls are nuts for him in the way they were for THE BEATLES! Then he won me over when he cried at his high school because he couldn't believe so many people had shown up.
At an earlier stop at the mall - which also had huge, screaming fans, he wondered: "Where did everybody park?"
We're so used to David just smiling and kind of laughing and kind of talking. We got to see more of his personality and were reminded of his youth when after watching the clips of his hometown visit from the stage he said to Seacrest: "It's embarrassing, they showed a lot of me crying. Gosh."

Syesha Mercado: At her elementary school in Florida, there was a wild crowd and people were absolutely losing their minds: "This is crazy, I've got people throwing their babies at me." Before she went on to her high school, there was a visit with her parents. Her dad, a recovering drug user, called her success on the show "a natural high" and said it was a reason to stay clean and sober."
Well, he was honest. It also gives you some insight into what a tremendous person of grit that Syesha is to rise above that and my hunch is, she's got a pretty terrific mother.
In the limo back to the airport, she sobbed: "This is so good..I feel so happy. This is my dream and I'm living it."

David Cook: Blue Springs, Mo. The newscasts were on "Cook Watch" He was latrer seen doing the weather, on radio and later thowing out a pitch at the ballpark: "It's amazing how crazy this is." There were throngs of fans (some weeping) at his concert. He then went to his elementary school to surprise his music teacher whom inspired him: It was all topped off by a parade - people lining both sides if the street: "This is a trip," he said. "I can't process it ... I got to do all the things that I wanted to do growing up here in one day...This is AMAZING!"

OK, the three well-deserving finalists, David Cook, Syesha Mercado and David Archuleta all gave solid performances but Cook rose above the other two - so much so that if he does not win the entire competition next week it won't really matter.

David Cook, this guy is a star. I loved his version of Roberta Flack's "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" because I've loved that song forever and it also gave us a chance to enjoy Cook's softer, more quiet side. David followed with Switchfoot's "Dare You To Move" which he picked. It was nice to see him rock and roll after the slow first song but it's not like I'd want to hear the song again.
The judges were lukewarm on that one but Simon and Paula (and strangely not Randy) loved his finale: Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" chosen by producers who did him a big favor and he delivered. When he is on the stage, there is just that feeling that he belongs there and that he'll be there for a long time in big arenas and other venues. He's a lock for the final.

When it comes to the other two finalists, I actually think it was a draw on a night that they sang a song they themselves chose, one a judge chose and a third chosen by producers. Syesha got bagged on the most - even by Paula - and I think unfairly. She gave three different performances and showed much more flair and personality than Archuleta who, of course, vocally is in a league all his own.

Randy thought Syesha did an "amazing" job on the song her chose for her: Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" and the other two judges were complimentary. But that's as good as it got for her. After she sang her pick, the Peggy Lee classic, "Fever," Simon called it a "rather lame cabaret performance," and said she would "probably regret that decision tomorrow." If she regrets the third song, it's not her fault. Producers chose Gia Farrell's "Hit Me Up" but the judges all agreed that it was not the strong finish she would have hoped for. Why let the producers pick a song then? Let the performer choose two so their fate can be in their own hands. BTW, I think Syesha did a nice job with the song, very upbeat and her confidence on stage really helped sell it.

David Archuleta did a nice, subdued performance of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" which was pretty. Paula, who called the performance "pure and stunning," picked it so we could see him do something different but I'm not sure she did him a huge favor. Simon's take: "It was very good. No surprises. [It was] a bit predictable, [which is] not really a criticism." David followed that with Chris Brown's "With You" which he picked himself. He was just fine but I understand what Simon was talking about when he said: "It was a little bit like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger in so much as it's not really you. I thought it was all a bit awkward." His final song, picked by producers, was "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg. He did a really good job with a song perfectly suited for his vocals and one that gave him plenty of opportunities to look into the camera with those big brown eyes. Randy and Paula loved it but Simon's comment, I think, should have been aimed at the producers: "I think you sang the song very well, however I thought the song and the lyrics were absolutely horrible. ... It was so gooey, it's something you choose for, like, a 90-year-old and you're 17 years old. Having said that, I do think you've done enough to get into the finals."
In closing, I gotta say that "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul seemed to have had a brain transplant tonight: she was on point, very clear, spoke in complete sentences, and didn't love every single performance. Who WAS that woman? Maybe she read a scathing Entertainment Weekly article that suggested five ways to improve "Idol" which has suffered from sagging ratings. One of them: can Paula and fellow judge Randy Jackson! I don't necessarily agree with that but when Simon Cowell's opinion is the only one the contestants really care about, it makes the other two kind or irrevlevant.

Jason Castro may have forgotten the lyrics to "Mr. Tamborine Man" on "American Idol" this week, but that doesn't mean he didn't want to win the singing competition.

I mentioned to Jason during a conference call Thursday that judge Simon Cowell had speculated that the dreadlocked hearthrob had intentionally flubbed the song because he wanted to be done with the rigors of the show.

He laughed then said: "I definitely did not do that on purpose. I couldn't believe I forgot such a popular line, something that's, like, written on your soul. Somehow it slipped my mind, but I definitely didn't do it on purpose."

So, I asked, he still wanted to win?

"Yesterday I wanted to win, and the day before that," he said. "I think what it came down to was just my inexperience. Once we doubled up on songs, I wasn't really able to focus. ... My mind was split, and I just couldn't deliver either/or.

Jason had made it to the final four but was voted off Wednesday night leaving David Archuleta, David Cook and Syesha Mercado as the final three.

While Brooke White cried tears of anguish a week earlier, Jason could not have appeared more carefree when he got the boot.

"I was as happy last night as I was when I found out I made the top 24," he said. "This whole time, I had a blast. And I was trying. But it's just really been hard. ... I remember before we found out about the results, I was really starting to fear the week ahead. If I had made it, (I thought)'How am I going to do three songs?' I can't even do two right!" With the hometown visit, it was just going to be a lot of work, even though it would've been so much fun. I was just freaking out about it. That was all building up...I loved my time on there, and I would've liked to go farther, but I don't think I could handle it. I'm content."

You gotta love this kid's honesty!

Jason, 20, didn't pick up a guitar until his freshman year I college and his public performances consisted of about a dozen shows in his hometown of Rockwall, Tx. late last year as practice for "Idol."

So it's been a big adjustment being on national television each week and being mobbed by fans.

"It's kind of a weird thing, I don't really get it yet," he said of his newfound fame. "It kind of takes me off guard when people are so crazy. But it's cool, it means they like you, it's flattering."

Jason does not hold any kind of grudge against host Paula Abdul who judged one of his songs a few weeks back before he had even sung it!

"That was kind of funny, I was just kind of confused," he said. "It was an honest mistake and I don't think it really affected my next performance."

We knew the two Davds were a lock but I'm just relieved and thrilled that the talented Syesha Mercado has also taken her deserved position in the top three. That leaves Jason Castro as odd man out. The dreadlocked cutie was not in the least disappointed, sensing that he and his limited talent had already overstayed their welcome: "There's three songs next week - I don't know whatI would have done."

Castro said this week he tried to pick songs he knew -- "Mr Tambourine Man" and Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" -- and yet he "screwed it up." When a viewer asked on Wednesday's show what the contestants' biggest challenges were in the competition. Jason answered: "Just the brain being dead."

Since the show strained to fill an hour, we were treated to performances by season four runner up Bo Dice and - best of all - Maroon 5 and its oh-so-handsome lead singer Adam Levine. He's so good looking that who could blame heterosexual host Ryan Seacrest for hugging Adam twice.

...I think even he hopes so! I don't know what in the name of Sanjaya is Jason Castro is doing in the top four when far more talented singers like Carly Smithson are long gone but after he forgot the words to a song last night and seemed to be singing karaoke at the bowling alley, he really must go.

Simon said to him after his performance: "Pack your bags." I'll have an interview with whoever does get eliminated on the blog tomorrow...

Brooke White may have been emotional after being voted off of "American Idol" this week, but by Thursday morning, the fifth-place finisher had regained her equilibrium and was able to calmly reflect on her experience on the show.

"I can't even believe I made the top 5," she said during a conference call. "What an amazing, amazing journey it has been."

The 24-year-old singer from Arizona managed to avoid elimination last week after forgetting the lyrics to a song but said she had a feeling Wednesday morning that she had reached the end of the road. Still, there were many tears.

"(I) thought I was strong, I really did. I felt so grateful and happy and then boom! It hit me. It's over, this is done. The finality of that phase of the experience being over was sad. .It was emotional and I'd hoped so much that I could have been stronger but... I'm an emotional girl and I'm passionate and that really came across on the stage."

Brooke was sympathetic toward judge Paula Abdul who caused a furor this week when she judged a second song by contestant Jason Castro that he had not yet performed.

"Well, it is live television, anything can happen. Last week, I stopped and restarted my song, it's just human moments that happen on the show. I don't exactly what happened with Paula, but stuff happens on the show, and when it's live, things can change very quickly, and they decide in the middle of the show to change something, and I'm sure she just kind of got lost in the moment. She's a good-hearted woman, and you just move on."

Brooke was asked if she thought she had a realistic chance of winning the competition.

".I think I hoped for that, but at the same time, I tried to set goals, once I got the top 24, to the top 12, and once I got to the top 12, it was top 10, and once I hit the top 10, it was top 5. You just have to take it in increments because you can overwhelm yourself, and the expectations can sometimes bring a lot of disappointment."

Online exrtra:
On making the top two: I think I hoped for that, but at the same time, I tried to set goals, once I got the top 24, to the top 12, and once I got to the top 12, it was top 10, and once I hit the top 10, it was top 5. You just have to take it in increments because you can overwhelm yourself, and the expectations can sometimes bring a lot of disappointment. Every time I was up on stage, I threw my heart into it, but I was open to whatever may be, because you only have so much control in this situation.

On her wavering self-confidence: I didn't start singing until I was a teenager, until I was about David Archuleta's age, and I never thought I had a nice voice. It wasn't pretty, it was this low, raspy thing, I didn't have a big range, and I think I was very intimidated by other singers, especially on American Idol where it's so focused on vocals. I didn't know how well I would do, or if I would survive.

Oftentimes in rehearsal, I'd hear everybody sing and I'd think, wow, how did I get here, this is amazing, and these people are incredible. Sometimes it was easy to feel intimidated. I'm learning that everybody is different; there are several artists out there.
I spoke with Carly Simon this morning during an interview, and she just said some things that really meant a lot to me. It's okay to be different and it's important to accept that and make the most of it. There are people out there who appreciate it, so you just have to go with it.

On the judges: When Paula said last night, "Someone has to give hope to them for their dreams, someone has to be positive, and I think she gets that. I think Simon comes from another side, he wants to push you do your best, and his way of doing that is being harsh, and very blunt. That's his style, sometimes I take it, and sometimes I leave it."

On Girls vs. Boys: Well, the boys are awfully popular this year, and I know that because their fan mail came in great, humongous stacks, and we girls received three a day, it was amazing. The boys are very talented and very charming, and it's, oh to be a boy this year, it probably would have been helpful. They're great, but so are the girls, I have to give them all props; everybody has been so good.

I'm usually all over the "American Idol" results but missed the show last night due to an awards dinner and missed the exit interview with Brooke White this morning because they moved it up by 30 minutes from the usual start time. But I'll be listening to a playback and provide some highlights shortly. Sadly, I wasn't able to ask Brooke any questions myself such as: "Did you realize how scary you looked while you were singing 'I'm A Believer'"?