Last night’s judges wildcard picks, Anoop Desai, Megan Joy Corkrey, Matt Giraud and Jasmine Murray, spoke with the press today. Here are a few of their quotes. Source: MTV: Anoop, Megan, Matt, Jasmine. Zap2it: Anoop, Megan, Matt, Jasmine.
From Anoop Desai
- On his friend, Eve Carson, “When we graduated in May, they passed out to the entire senior class these big buttons that just say ‘Eve’ in Carolina blue letters on them, the buttons are black. And, y’know, I carry that in y pocket every time I go onstage or go on to a results show just, y’know, to remind myself that I’m doing it for her.”
- Why he sang “My Prerogative” again, “That song in particular has, I think, become sort of like an anthem for me since Hollywood Week. And I thought it was especially appropriate for the wildcard round. Y’know, to go out there and say, ‘Listen, this is who I am. I’m gonna do what I do and I’m gonna have fun. It’s my prerogative.'”
- More on his song choice, “Like the judges said, I think I did a better job of it this time. I was really happy to do that song with an audience too because It’s such an audience reaction song, so the small audience on the stage that night was key, and that performance, the wildcard performance, is all about showing the judges your–it’s a last ditch effort. And so, obviously I wanted to show them the side that they liked before.”
- What his album might sound like, “I love Ne-Yo right now. I think that I’m a pop R&B singer, I’m a contemporary R&B singer. So that’s really the album, the type of album I’d like to release. Love to do some collaborations with, y’know (laughing) like Luda and Kanye and stuff like that ’cause I love those guys. But we’ll see, y’know wherever this takes me, I know that I’m gonna have a great opportunity to do my music.
- What was it like to be the last person picked after thinking you didn’t make it? “It was the pits, man. It was the difference between having all your dreams dashed and then three seconds later, they’re alive again. It was a shock, it was a genuine shock for me. I’m just glad I’m still here.”
Megan Joy Corkrey, Matt Giraud and Jasmine Murray after the JUMP…
From Megan Joy Corkrey:
- On her big tattoo, It’s a castle and there’s a night sky above it. And it’s my fairy-tale, and there’s a king and queen and that’s me and who knows? And then there’s a fairy-godmother, my mom. A wizard, my brother and a prince, my son. And then there’s roses growing up in the castle.
- On her other tattoos, “I have seven if you count my sleeve as one. I have my son’s name on my wrist. And I have two stars on my back for me and my mom. I have my middle name, Joy, on my hip. And I have, just like, a jumble of things I love on both of my feet.
- What artists have inspired her musical style? “My number-one influence is Bjà ¶rk. I fell in love with her when I was 16. She just changed my life. Her music is so beautiful and original and different, and it’s so emotional. And I just love it.”
- What upcoming theme week worries her? “I’m not really scared, but I’m a little unsure, and I don’t know what I’m going to do with country week, because I don’t listen to a lot of country. I’m gonna do it, though. I’ll tear it up!”
She prefers to use Megan Joy because Corkrey is her ex-husband name.
From Matt Giraud:
- How did he feel after his Coldplay performance last week? Did he think he blew it? “I definitely could not sleep that night. … People thought I was gonna do well, and I kinda felt like I let everyone down. It just wasn’t the right song, but that’s behind me. And this week, I’m going to pick the right song and bring it back and forget about it”
- What did he think of Simon calling out his fashion choices? “I don’t know why he’s always hating on me! I trusted the wardrobe people on that one and who takes fashion advice from Simon anyway. [laughs]”
- Will he attempt pop music again? “I definitely will attempt pop again. I think there are some themes where I can definitely pull off pop music. I definitely want to get back into it and maybe I’ll even do a Jay-Z song in the future, who knows?”
- Which judge has given him the best advice and what has it been? “Kara’s given me the best compliments, but now Paula and Kara both say do what you’re good at and make sure you nail what you’re good at. If you try new things, you might like it, but if you can’t nail it then it’s no good.”
From Jasmine Murray
- People were really impressed when you used the big voice. What made you decide to really go for it last night? “Well, I just like to explore different types of music. Christina Aguilera is one of my favorite artists and “Reflection” is a beautiful song and really age-appropriate for me and I just really thought it’d be a good choice to do. I just tried to do the best I could last night.”
- What kind of music do you see yourself releasing after the show? “I don’t know! I like so many different types of music. I would love to try tons of different types of things ‘ pop, rock, country, all of it. Music just in general is beautiful. The different genres are so interesting. … I’m still young, so I’m still trying to find out what exactly I like, but like I said, I like so many different genres and I want to try so many different things.”
- About her past experience, “I was Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen, and I was involved in pageants for a little while. That kind of got me used to being onstage. I actually got to sing for the Miss America pageant two years ago, so that was amazing. That was one of the great experiences of my life. But being on the “Idol” stage, I think it’s a little bit different because you actually have people judging you”
- How has her pageant experience prepared you for “American Idol”? “Just getting used to being onstage and singing. I’m glad that I have that experience in the past, or else I might be a little more nervous or just not as comfortable. Definitely being on the stage before in pageants, or just performing in talent shows or anything like that, definitely has helped a lot”
