Allison Iraheta: The ultimate interview, Part Four

In the final part of this four-part interview, "American Idol" finalist Allison Iraheta talks about her final weeks on the show and this summer's "American Idols Live" tour. Read Part One here. Read Part Two here. Read Part Three here.

Let’s talk about some more of the songs you performed on “American Idol” this past season. When you had to pick a song from a movie, you went with Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.”

It’s one of my all-time favorites, in my top five. Maybe number three.

Did you see the movie “Armageddon” and do you remember hearing the song for the first time?

Yup, and I remember crying like a baby.

Since this is one of your all-time favorites, had you ever performed the song before?

I had never performed the song, ever. I learned it just because, you know, you have a favorite song, you listen to it so many times, you learn it eventually.

Have you ever met the woman who wrote the song, Diane Warren?

She’s so amazing. I met her and I talked to her. She’s just so great. I even told her “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” is one of my all-time favorites.

I’m sure she loved hearing you say that. Let’s talk about the song you chose when the theme was “Disco.” You sang Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff.”

I knew the song. Disco Week was so hard for me. Me singing disco? Not so much! I felt I definitely needed to change it up. I can’t be doing the whole disco style. I can’t. It was between “MacArthur Park” and “Hot Stuff.” I did not connect with either of them, but I felt you can either do something that will show off your voice and be safe, which was “MacArthur Park,” or you can do something and actually enjoy doing it and change it up and make it your own. So “Hot Stuff” was the one for me.

Carrie Underwood sang “MacArthur Park,” but when Ryan asked her what the song meant, she said she had no idea.

It’s something about a cake being in the rain. I don’t know. You can’t sing about cake.

Then let’s talk about the song you chose when the theme was rock 'n' roll. She didn’t record the song originally, but when we think of “Cry Baby,” we think of Janis Joplin.

I grew up listening to Janis Joplin and I’ve sung “Piece of My Heart.” “Cry Baby” is also one of my favorites. I do connect with that one, definitely. I don’t regret doing it on the show. I thought that was one of my best performances. It’s one of those songs I’ve always wanted to do.

It was a perfect song for you, even if that was the week you were sent home. That same show, you performed a duet with Adam on Foghat’s “Slow Ride.”

As soon as we found out we were going to be doing duets, I knew I wanted to sing with Adam. I mean, I wouldn’t have minded doing it with Danny or Kris. I love them both. Adam and I were like, “Let’s do this. Truck out.Let’s do some craziness song.” “Slow Ride” was the perfect one.

Was it difficult to choose which song would make a great duet?

There was a list and I was looking at the list and he was and I didn’t know which one to choose. “What about this one?” “No, maybe not.” “What about this one?” “Nah.” Until he said, “All right, we have to do this one,” and it was “Slow Ride” and I said, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Were you surprised how much praise you received for “Slow Ride”?

I felt like I blanked out during that whole performance more than I usually blank out. I blank out on every single performance, but it was weird because I totally forgot about the judges. Every time I would blank out I would still have the judges in the back of my head, like watch out for the notes, but this one, I thought, “I don’t even care. I’m just going to have fun. This is a whole different world.” And after we did it, people went crazy. We knew we did awesome because it was just so much fun.

Now that the season is over, do you still hold on to anything the judges said to you?

I got good feedback most of the time. The whole personality thing with Simon, right now I feel like it’s not a competition anymore. I am who I am. I mean, I was who I am throughout the whole show. We only have two seconds to talk after the judges do so it was hard for me to let people know who I was in those two seconds, but now people know who I am. So I’m always going to keep what the judges said to help me with my career further up ahead. They did know what they were talking about and every single one of them, I used [their comments] to help me with my other performances.

Now you’re on the road all summer for the “American Idols Live” tour. I hope you can sleep on the bus.

I can sleep anywhere, bus or plane.

– Fred Bronson

Photo credit: Noel Vasquez / Getty Images

Related:

Allison Iraheta: Finding her groove

Allison Iraheta: Showbiz beginnings

Allison Iraheta: The early years

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Kris Allen: Showbiz beginnings

Kris Allen: Finding his groove

Kris Allen: The "Idol" chapter

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Adam Lambert: Showbiz beginnings

Adam Lambert: Finding his groove

Adam Lambert: The "Idol" chapter

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