JANELLE ARTHUR IS THE FIRST GIRL TO GO ON AMERICAN IDOL.
“I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who supported me while I was on the show. It’s just been the most incredible journey. I just hope that my fans and the people who have looked up to me—I hope that I can walk away and they can know from my journey that if you don’t give up that you can do it and it really can happen. If you don’t get bitter, don’t let it really take you down and you just keep going and you really keep that fire about you then I think that—I hope that people can know that you can do it and it can happen. I just want to thank all my fans for believing in me and I just can’t thank you all enough. “ –Janelle Arthur
Last week, the Top 4 finalists– Candice Glover, Kree Harrison, Amber Holcomband Angie Miller – were revealed. It also was announced that Janelle Arthur was eliminated.
Tune in this week, Thursday, April 25, when the Top 4 return to perform for America’s votes, as they get one stiletto closer to becoming the next AMERICAN IDOL.
HERE’s HER INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
Were you surprised to be eliminated or did you kind of have a gut feeling going into it that your time was up? What are your thoughts on that?
J. Arthur I really did kind of feel it. Just from the past few weeks and just the vibe that I was getting I just kind knew it was me. But I still was just so thankful to have made the top five. I just didn’t even think that was possible. So it’s very bittersweet.
They said that when you sang for the save that it was two for and two against. Do you have any idea who the two might’ve been that voted for you to stay?
J. Arthur Keith told me it was him and Mariah, but you know, Randy came up to me afterwards and was like, “Janelle, I’ve been loving you from the beginning, from season ten.” So it’s so confusing. You just don’t know. It’s weird. So I’m guessing it was Keith and Mariah who were pulling for me, but I know that Randy is too. So it’s just weird. I don’t know. I don’t even know what to think.
Do you have any projects lined up or anything after the tour that you’re planning on doing?
J. Arthur I don’t have anything lined up right now, but I have plans in my head of what I’m going to definitely go after. That’s going to be writing a lot in Nashville and hopefully getting into the studio. Even as much as doing some acting and stuff, I’m up for anything like that. I just love to entertain.
I’m just wondering if you could relive a moment in the competition, what would it be and why?
J. Arthur I think it might be—there are so many good moments. Maybe the night that I did “I Will,” Beatles night, because I got to close the show and it was one of those times that I think the people thought that I wouldn’t be able to pull off maybe like a Beatles song and I ended up doing my own thing with it. It just really felt good. It was a good night.
And what was it like living in a house full of girls for one week?
J. Arthur Oh my word, what’s crazy is we’d been staying actually in villas so we’ve had roommates. It’s been nice. It’s been really good because my roommate was Amber and we just got along really well. I just love her.
Do you think county music has become more mainstream in this country now?
J. Arthur Absolutely. The way country music’s moving the more pop country definitely is becoming better known, most definitely.
A spoiler came across my desk today about the fact that you guys have been maybe doing some songwriting for originals on your own and I just wasn’t sure if you could confirm or deny that or if you’re going to be signing an original on tour?
J. Arthur Actually I don’t think that I’m going to be singing an original—I haven’t known anything about singing an original on tour at all. I think that maybe the rumor might’ve gotten started maybe because we’d been talking to a lot of songwriters. Like we’ve been meeting with writers and that’s mainly just to kind of get circulated for the future. I think that’s really cool.
What are you most looking forward to on tour?
J. Arthur I am most looking forward to meeting all the fans. That’s going to be my favorite part and also just playing in the large stadiums. That’s going to be awesome.
And what are you going to miss the most about your time on Idol?
J. Arthur I think just whenever you feel like you’re really just doing exactly what you’re supposed to do there’s no better feeling than that, just feeling like you’re in the right place and the right time. So I’ll definitely miss feeling that rush. We got to work every day with some of the best, most talented people and so I’ll definitely miss those things.
I know you’ve talked a little bit already about the best advice the judges gave you, but would you mind sharing what they said to you immediately following your elimination?
J. Arthur Keith just told me that he fought for me. Then Randy told me that he had loved me from the beginning in season two. Then Mariah just told me that she just didn’t have a single worry about me. She was like, “I’ll be seeing you because you have the biggest career ahead of you.” That meant so much. And Nicki just told me that she really meant what she said when she thought that I was going to have a great career. All those things are just great things to leave with for sure.
At this point in the competition, who are you rooting for to win and who do you think is going to win if that’s a different person or not?
J. Arthur What’s crazy is if you had asked me that like when I was in the top 16 or top 40 I would’ve been able to say. But it’s like right now all of the girls are my friends so it’s so hard for me to choose one because I’m equally close to all of them. I have my own predictions in my head of who I think is going to take it all, but at the same time I don’t want to put that out there because I love all these girls and I think no matter who wins America will make the right choice because all of these girls are amazing.
And looking back on your entire journey, Janelle, do you have any regrets? Do you wish you had done anything differently, like whether it be a particular song choice or anything like that?
J. Arthur The best thing is that I do not feel like I made any bad choices with my songs. I’m so happy that I didn’t second-guess that. I could see myself—I’m really hard on myself and I’m so thankful that I was able to really just make the best song choices, I think, for myself every week. Sometimes I think it’s, like I said, not about the song choice; it’s about what you do with the song that you choose. So I felt great about everything. The craziest thing is I think I left with the best feeling after this past Wednesday night.
Your final remarks for your fans?
J. Arthur I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who supported me while I was on the show. It’s just been the most incredible journey. I just hope that my fans and the people who have looked up to me—I hope that I can walk away and they can know from my journey that if you don’t give up that you can do it and it really can happen. If you don’t get bitter, don’t let it really take you down and you just keep going and you really keep that fire about you then I think that—I hope that people can know that you can do it and it can happen. I just want to thank all my fans for believing in me and I just can’t thank you all enough.
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