After a nail-biting live two-hour results show that revealed America's top five male and female contestants, pitted six potential wild-card performers against each other, and ultimately sent 11 contestants packing, what's next for the Top 13 finalists for American Idol Season 10? A party, of course! In a large tent sitting atop the parking garage for the Los Angeles outdoor mall The Grove (which itself resides just south of Idol's CBS Television City home), the Top 13 finalists ran a gauntlet of press interviews for a good two hours. Casey Abrams, Naima Adedapo, Lauren Alaina, James Durbin, Ashthon Jones, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald, Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Karen Rodriguez, and Pia Toscano talked with EW about what sets them apart, what theme nights they're dreading, their thoughts on the judges, and what they were doing at this time, last year.
What sets you apart from the other contestants?
Casey Abrams: I have a strong jazz influence and it shows in my melodies and harmonies. I like to growl and scream and improvise and scat. I don't think many of the others do that. And I am cuddly like a teddy bear.
Naima Adedapo: I bring an entirely different vibe to the show than the others and I have in not been able to showcase everything I do yet. My clothes, which I design. I can't imagine any of the other girls pulling off my look. And certainly none of the guys. I'm a little funkier.
Lauren Alaina: I have a very spunky, loud personality. ADHD is what some people call it. Musically I think I'm the country girl. I have that Southern charm and a lot of people voting are close to my age so I think that could be an advantage for Thia, Scotty, and me.
James Durbin: I am the only rock guy. People notice that. I am going to push the bar like I did by performing Judas Priest. In nine seasons, no one has ever rocked a Priest song. I'm going to keep doing crazy stuff like that. It is going to keep getting bigger and badder, heavier and nastier. There are 10 weeks to the competition and that means I could have 10 opportunities to do Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, Dio, Ozzy, Skid Row. The Scorpions. There are so many great songs. How will I ever choose?
Ashthon Jones: I have learned from the best. I feel like I have the dancing down and the stage presence. I think people like me usually. I am a fun girl, and since Brett [Loewenstern] went home I am the only one with a Diana Ross fro. Confidence, and I get that from up above. I'm just being real with you. It isn't me. It's Him. I think I have a look and I don't mind trying to use looks to get farther. It is a public vote. I'm not afraid to wear tight dress and high heels up to here. I just want to show the world who Ashthon is. This is how I have always been.
Stefano Langone: I think I have a different sound and a different approach to music than the others. The music I do is from the soul, from my heart. I think that was something I got to show tonight doing that Wild Card song. I leave it all out on the stage. I'm a romantic and a softie.
Jacob Lusk: I feel like I sing from a different place than the others. I sing from my soul, from way down deep. Music is my connection to something bigger.
Scotty McCreery: Definitely it's that I am representing country [music]. Me and Lauren Alania for sure. I'm a deep voiced country guy and no one expected that voice from me when I opened my mouth. And I grew up on the throwback songs so that's what I gravitate toward singing. Lauren Alania has a little bit more of the pop country sound like Carrie Underwood.
Paul McDonald: I guess I am the quirky one with the white teeth. I am just being me. Genre-wise, I think I am outside of the box from the others because I don't really listen to top 40 radio and I don't have the range to do those Celine Dion ballads. I went the band-and-indie route. I have been on a lot of stages and that helps. I think I am pretty comfortable on the stage as long as I am not trying to be somebody I'm not. Some of the others are a lot less comfortable being in front of a crowd. They don't quite know how to move and sing.
Thia Megia: Everyone has commented about my clothes. They say I like to dress ''interestingly.'' I am just being myself. I am the youngest one left, but I am 16 now. I am the quiet one. But I love being inspirational to people. I love to write poetry, songs, and stories. I try to be as creative as I can in as many ways as I can and I think that shows in my arrangements and my song choices and how I dress.
Haley Reinhart: I have a throwback vibe going on. I do a lot of rockier, sultrier stuff. But I feel like I have a lot of versatility in me. I do jazz, rock, pop, soul, R&B. I like it all. And they keep saying the tone of my voice. The judges say I have a huskier voice the makes me unique. I'm not putting it on. I've had it my whole life.
Karen Rodriguez: The Latina spice. I took a risk and sang ''Hero'' in Spanish and English because that is who I am and it is important to me and then they really liked it and I am so happy that they did. Because that is who I am. I am the only MySpace contestant left in the competition. I auditioned through a 42-second video.
Pia Toscano: We all have different qualities to our voice. I think I'm known for singing the powerful ballad, but I can do other stuff too. I can hit some pretty high notes but probably not as high as James. I think my style is fairly classic. You have to be sure of yourself and confidant in your own skin. I am sure of myself on stage, there more than anywhere.
What sets you apart from the other contestants?
Casey Abrams: I have a strong jazz influence and it shows in my melodies and harmonies. I like to growl and scream and improvise and scat. I don't think many of the others do that. And I am cuddly like a teddy bear.
Naima Adedapo: I bring an entirely different vibe to the show than the others and I have in not been able to showcase everything I do yet. My clothes, which I design. I can't imagine any of the other girls pulling off my look. And certainly none of the guys. I'm a little funkier.
Lauren Alaina: I have a very spunky, loud personality. ADHD is what some people call it. Musically I think I'm the country girl. I have that Southern charm and a lot of people voting are close to my age so I think that could be an advantage for Thia, Scotty, and me.
James Durbin: I am the only rock guy. People notice that. I am going to push the bar like I did by performing Judas Priest. In nine seasons, no one has ever rocked a Priest song. I'm going to keep doing crazy stuff like that. It is going to keep getting bigger and badder, heavier and nastier. There are 10 weeks to the competition and that means I could have 10 opportunities to do Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, Dio, Ozzy, Skid Row. The Scorpions. There are so many great songs. How will I ever choose?
Ashthon Jones: I have learned from the best. I feel like I have the dancing down and the stage presence. I think people like me usually. I am a fun girl, and since Brett [Loewenstern] went home I am the only one with a Diana Ross fro. Confidence, and I get that from up above. I'm just being real with you. It isn't me. It's Him. I think I have a look and I don't mind trying to use looks to get farther. It is a public vote. I'm not afraid to wear tight dress and high heels up to here. I just want to show the world who Ashthon is. This is how I have always been.
Stefano Langone: I think I have a different sound and a different approach to music than the others. The music I do is from the soul, from my heart. I think that was something I got to show tonight doing that Wild Card song. I leave it all out on the stage. I'm a romantic and a softie.
Jacob Lusk: I feel like I sing from a different place than the others. I sing from my soul, from way down deep. Music is my connection to something bigger.
Scotty McCreery: Definitely it's that I am representing country [music]. Me and Lauren Alania for sure. I'm a deep voiced country guy and no one expected that voice from me when I opened my mouth. And I grew up on the throwback songs so that's what I gravitate toward singing. Lauren Alania has a little bit more of the pop country sound like Carrie Underwood.
Paul McDonald: I guess I am the quirky one with the white teeth. I am just being me. Genre-wise, I think I am outside of the box from the others because I don't really listen to top 40 radio and I don't have the range to do those Celine Dion ballads. I went the band-and-indie route. I have been on a lot of stages and that helps. I think I am pretty comfortable on the stage as long as I am not trying to be somebody I'm not. Some of the others are a lot less comfortable being in front of a crowd. They don't quite know how to move and sing.
Thia Megia: Everyone has commented about my clothes. They say I like to dress ''interestingly.'' I am just being myself. I am the youngest one left, but I am 16 now. I am the quiet one. But I love being inspirational to people. I love to write poetry, songs, and stories. I try to be as creative as I can in as many ways as I can and I think that shows in my arrangements and my song choices and how I dress.
Haley Reinhart: I have a throwback vibe going on. I do a lot of rockier, sultrier stuff. But I feel like I have a lot of versatility in me. I do jazz, rock, pop, soul, R&B. I like it all. And they keep saying the tone of my voice. The judges say I have a huskier voice the makes me unique. I'm not putting it on. I've had it my whole life.
Karen Rodriguez: The Latina spice. I took a risk and sang ''Hero'' in Spanish and English because that is who I am and it is important to me and then they really liked it and I am so happy that they did. Because that is who I am. I am the only MySpace contestant left in the competition. I auditioned through a 42-second video.
Pia Toscano: We all have different qualities to our voice. I think I'm known for singing the powerful ballad, but I can do other stuff too. I can hit some pretty high notes but probably not as high as James. I think my style is fairly classic. You have to be sure of yourself and confidant in your own skin. I am sure of myself on stage, there more than anywhere.
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