Eliminated American Idol contestant, Majesty Rose, giggle her way through a teleconference with reporters today. Check out what she has to say about repeated trips to the bottom 3, not being saved, and what she’d like to do after Idol.
Q&A below
What is she most looking forward to on the tour? “I’m really excited to get back to the contestants. We’re going to be even closer. We’re like a family. I’m excited for my fans to see me again. I am so grateful to have all the support. I’m excited to make more fans.”
She seemed really excited to be singing the save. What was going through her head while she was singing? “I was truly happy. I had to make a quick decision to be happy at that moment. I had to be grateful for how far I already made it. I wasn’t even thinking about the judges. I was thinking ‘Right now I’m going to sing for myself and just be really proud of how far I’ve made it.’ I think I did a really good job of that. The crowd was really into it.”
About the necklace she got from Carrie Underwood, “It was so great. All of our necklaces had our initials on them. So cute. In my letter she said, ‘Keep smiling.’ It meant everything. People keep saying that. I didn’t know my smile was that powerful. [the guys] got little dog tags.”
Was she at all surprised to be eliminated? “I was surprised to be eliminated. I wasn’t surprised that I would sing for the save. I just kind of had a feeling when the show started. I don’t know why. Probably because I pray a lot. I think God told me. [giggle] I really was surprised that I got eliminated. Right when they said that they decided not to save me, I had peace. I made it this far. I’m not THE American Idol, but I’ve made my mark on that show. I think I’m going to make a lot of other stamps in my culture.”
What’s next for her? “Hopefully I will get to do a lot more music and singing. I really would like to do acting and…Broadway. That would be really fun. I would love to do so many things–being a real role model for young girls. I can really see myself being a good example for a lot of people.”
Why does she think she kept landing in the bottom? “When I sing my song, I’m not thinking about what America will like. I’m thinking about what I would like. It’s really about me. I’m not singing for America. They’re the ones voting for me, but really, this is my time to be present myself. I think what will make me most happy and most comfortable. I really made myself proud.”
What kind of music does she see herself making after the tour? “I really do love Coldplay. It would the happy type music. My CD would be like really inspiring. You would laugh one minute, and the next minute you would cry, because it would be like a rollercoaster.”
Was she surprised that the judges didn’t use their save on her? Does she know who wanted her to stay? “I’m not trying to think about that. At this point, I’m just trying to not be sad. I was surprised that they didn’t save me, but I think every contestant was surprised. We’re all really good. But I understand they’re in a really tough position. Whoever it was, I can understand. It’s not like I’ve been absolutely perfect, or anything. We all worked so hard. It’s really hard to be in this competition. I can’t say that I deserved it more than anybody else.”
Were her vocal problems due to a lack of experience performing? Did she have a nerves issue she was dealing with? “I wasn’t so nervous this time. I think it was experience. I do like to dance and sing at the same time. But it’s something new. I got to talk to Janelle Monae a lot before and after the show and she was giving me tips on how to do that, because she does that all the time! I’m really going to work on that from now until tour. I’ll be polished one of these days.”
What does she plan to do before and after the tour? “I’m really happy to go home and see my family. I’m going to go back to see my kids. I don’t know if I’ll be a teacher. I hope they still have my spot! I’m going to see my kids either way. I’m glad I’ll have a little downtime. After tour, I hope that I’ll have a lot of opportunities to do what I really love to do–sing, and be an actress. I would just love to be on commercials and do everything. Maybe be a representative for natural hair. I would love that. There are so many things that I would love to do. I hope I get those opportunities. I think I am really capable of those things.”
Next week the contestants will be singing their audition songs. Why did she choose to sing “Violet Hill” for her audition? “I sang another song. It didn’t air. It was a faster song too. [“Violet Hill] is one of my favorites. I sing that a lot at home. It’s a song that I knew could draw the judges in. It really shows off my vocal strengths and dynamics. It’s starts off really slow, and at the end I’m doing a really good high note. I wish I would have been able to perform it.”
What was her favorite performance? “It’s probably the one from Rush Week. Rush Week was the week that we didn’t even know if our name would get called to perform. I was actually first to be called. I didn’t even have to wait in the chamber at all. It was really good. When I sang “Happy,” I truly was happy when I sang that song. I was so ready to get up there.”
How did she handle being away from her family, friends and students. “It was really hard. I had to call them a lot. It’s hard to be around people you don’t know that well, and they really don’t know you that well. It was really like I was alone, even though all the contestants are really close. It was like, ‘Man, I wish I could have a really heartfelt hug from my family.’ We would pray together on the phone and stuff before shows.”
Did Randy Jackson and the others backstage encourage her song choices? How much help did she get with the arrangement of the songs? “Randy Jackson encouraged us a lot. He would watch us in our rehearsals–he would make really good suggestions. I had vocal coaches–I had Michael and Dorian. They really helped me a lot, vocally everything. Mentally. They were really helping me out. They were always there for me. They helped me a lot with song choice and helped me to figure out where I fit in.”
Did they ever discourage her from picking a song? Or where they always really enthusiastic about what she wanted to do? “They were enthusiastic. They would would tell me straight up. They were very honest about everything. Very loving. They were really good to me.”
When she sang “Let it Go” she mentioned that the song was just for her. Could she elaborate a little on that? “It was the lyrics. Especially the verse that I sang. Because, just my story is so different. My mom, she really did parade me around. When I was younger, I had to sing everywhere. It was hard. It was like I was a robot or something. It was always stifling who I really was on the inside. That song, that verse if you listen back to those words, ‘Be the good girl you always have to be…’ I definitely felt all those lyrics that I sang.”
How did she deal the stress and the strain of the competition? “I did practice a lot. We had a room where we could practice all the time. I practiced in front of a full mirror to see how everything looked from what I was going to feel at a certain line. With what I was going to do with my tambourine–I probably practiced that song “Shake it Out” thirty times.”
What did she learn about herself on her American Idol journey? “I learned so much about myself. I know I’m a much stronger person than I was before. I really have learned to know who I am and to stand on that. That’s one thing I’m so proud about. Through all of that, I persevered. It’s easy to take somebody from a small town to Hollywood. You can change. You really can. That’s one thing I can say. Is that I didn’t change who I was at all. I’m really happy.”
Are there any TV shows she would like to be a guest star on? “I love Disney channel! People always say I look 15 or 16 anyway. I’ve always wanted to be on Disney.”
On Dexter liking to flirt a lot. Who is he flirting with and what does he do? “We make fun of Dexter when he takes pictures. He has his face. He has his celebrity face already. I think he knows that he’s kind of like a ladies man right now. [giggles]”
Why did she choose “Happy” as her “Save Me” song? “That was probably one of my favorites. I wanted to sing something that reminded people ‘Oh my gosh! You’re the same girl who sang ‘Happy’!’ I did want to be truly happy when I sang my save song. So there was no way I could cry!”
What were some of the struggles she had to face during her run on American Idol? “It was hard to overcome being in the bottom. If I could give somebody on American Idol a tip, I would say, you are really going to have to know who you are before you come to Hollywood. America can really make you feel like you’re just dejected, like you’re not good enough. That’s not true! That’s one thing I’ve learned throughout this. My best IS good enough. I might not be THE next American Idol, but I’m the only Majesty Rose. No one else can be like me. I really have had that spiritual foundation there. Whatever America had decided, I was fine. That’s why I could sing ‘Happy’ that way.”
Does she know which contestant Jennifer Lopez was talking about when she said she had changed her mind about one of the bottom 3 performances.?“I feel like she was talking about me, which is fine. I’m not a perfect singer or performer. I’m kind of an amateur. It didn’t really phase me at all. I was like ‘whatever happens, happens.'”
How does she feel about the girls being eliminated before the boys? What does she think about Jessica being the only girl safe every week? “I don’t know what America thinks. It’s really random. They’re all really good–very powerful with nice voices. Jess–she really knows who she is as an artist. She’s played so many places–so well rounded with that. I think she’s going to do her thing. I hope she doesn’t get in the bottom ever. She’s extraordinary to me.”
What does she think she’ll take away from the experience as a whole? “I just want to leave a good mark, in my culture, in my world. I think that’s what I’m taking back. I was a really good example of what a lady is. I stay true to myself. I’m really proud of myself for persevering–not letting things get to me, like being in the bottom 3. I really bounced back from it. I prayed a lot. Read my scriptures. Got myself together before I got on stage.”
Who were her closest friends on the show? “I know for sure I’m going to be friends with Jess Meuse. We were roommates for a lot of the time. We just really clicked, right at the beginning. We care about each other a lot. Even beyond this, we’re going to be really good friends. Alex is really cool too. We have similar taste in music. We both really inspire each other a lot.”
Would she consider making christian or gospel music. Or perhaps music for children? “When I make a CD it’s going to be a combination of all of those things. I don’t specifically think that I’m gonna say ‘Ohhh, Christian artist.’ Because I’m a Christian first. Just the way that I live my life, people understand who I am. If I’m in an alternative genre, people are going to know what I stand for through my music. They’re going to feel really happy. Kids are gonna like it and grownups are gonna like it. It’s going to be one of those albums that everybody will be able to relate to.”
The judges thought that her diversity was great, but that maybe fans wouldn’t be able to grasp what her style was. How does she feel about that? “I understand exactly what Harry is saying. It was kind of tricky for me, because [I didn’t know] exactly the kind of artist I was when I got into this. It might not be a good idea to do things that are so polar opposite on American Idol. But, I think it will work in my favor now that I’m out of American Idol, because I can do so many different things. I have so many different avenues I can go on. I’m excited.”
Who are some of her favorite contestants that have been on the show over the years? “I did like Carrie Underwood. And I liked Jason Castro a lot. I like Casey Abrams. Adam Lambert actually inspired me a lot, because how different he was. He was so different than everybody else on the show. He was so extreme–I really liked that.”
What are some of the things she and the contestants do in their free time, “Me and Jess, we were roommates. A lot of times we were resting. You don’t get a lot of free time. We went to cycling class.”
Were you and the contestants really close? “Yes. Especially me and Jess. We were really close. Alex was my next bestie.”
What is the most rewarding thing about being on American Idol, “I really do have a platform. I have so many things to choose from now. It’s really cool. I think I’m in a really great place. I get time to rest. Then I’m going to go back to the finale and then the tour.”
