Allison Iraheta: The ultimate interview, Part Three

In the third part of this four-part interview, "American Idol" finalist Allison Iraheta talks about her experience on the show. Read Part One here. Read Part Two here.

You mentioned connecting with songs and it seems to me that you always connect with whatever song you are performing. Is that how it feels to you when you’re singing?

For me, choosing songs always had to be about connection. Obviously, it was kind of hard for me to do that on the show when you’re being told to choose from a list and you don’t know some of the songs that are on there; that was a toughie on the show. That was hard for me to do.

When you connect with a song [it’s through the] lyrics and the genre as well. For me, the song is always going to be something that will represent who I am.

Since you’re so young, a lot of the songs you perform must seem like ancient history or maybe too adult for a teenager to sing.

Sure. Singing songs like “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “Hot Stuff” was weird. It’s like you’re given a role to do. You have to work with what you’ve got.

But despite your youth, you seem to have a wide knowledge of songs from different eras.

I guess I do. I knew “Someone to Watch Over Me” already. I knew most of the songs in Rat Pack Week. I guess that comes from my parents listening to a very large variety of music -- my dad listening to the Beatles and Led Zeppelin and my mom ABBA and it was totally different but through both of them combined, I learned different kinds of music.

Ever since I was little I listened to different genres. It helped during the competition because I knew they were going to throw themes at me and I think maybe that’s what helped from watching “Idol.” I would ask, “What are they singing? Why are they singing about this?” And that’s when I learned that they have to sing different genres each week. So that would be one of the things that actually helped prepare me for different kinds of music.

Do you also know a lot of songs because you’ve been performing since you were a child?

Yes. For example, the song I did during country week, “Blame It on Your Heart,” I had been performing ever since I was 11. I used to do it just for fun at country clubs and parties where people actually enjoyed country music. I think that’s also why I learned different kinds of songs because people would hire me along with a band and we would play at parties. They would ask for music and I would know a bunch of oldies and country music and for me, singing country I was like, “Oh, geez,” but it was pretty cool and what matters the most is that people enjoy it. Obviously it’s more important if you enjoy it, but it’s pretty cool when you see people enjoying the music you’re doing.

During Hollywood Week you sang “Because of You.” Were you worried about singing a Kelly Clarkson hit?

Oh, definitely. I already knew the song, but doing it on “Idol” where Kelly came from was pretty scary. But Hollywood Week is sort of like Hell Week. You don’t get sleep. You have such a limited time to rehearse and I thought, “I already know this song. I think I can do something good with it because I’ve been singing it for a while now and it’ll be much easier for me to get rest before tomorrow when I go out and sing this song than to stay up all night and learn a whole new one.” And it went well.

When it was down to a top 36, you performed Heart’s “Alone,” a song that we’ve heard on “Idol” before. Why do a song that so many other contestants have chosen?

Carly Smithson, Ramiele Malubay and Carrie Underwood did it. Very scary, but what’s pretty cool is that a lot of them are so very different and I found myself being pretty different as well, making it a tad bit easier to sing it. I was still scared. I knew Carrie sang the bejeezus out of it, but I just did what I did and it worked out great.

During Michael Jackson week you sang one of his lesser-known songs, “Give in to Me.”

That was one of the songs I had never heard in my life. But Slash is on it and I thought that was pretty cool. I was going to do “Beat It” and I gave it to Anoop. He hated me after I gave it to him.

He didn’t have to take it…

I make fun of him now because we’re a dysfunctional family and I tell him, “Anytime you need me to give you a song, Anoop, just call me up and I’d be glad to help.” He just says, “Shut up.” After I gave “Beat It” to Anoop, I was still a little off as to what song I was going to do. I was thinking of “Bad,” “Thriller,” I don’t know. And then I was talking to Kris and he helped me out. He said, “There’s a really good song. I’m hearing it right now, and you’d sound great on it.” He showed it to me, and the first time I heard it, I fell in love with it. So I went for it. I learned it and it went great.

Was this one of those times when two contestants wanted to do the same song – you wanted “Beat It” and so did Anoop?

We both wanted to do it. The funny thing was that I didn’t know he wanted to do it and I guess he didn’t know I wanted to do it, so both of us said, “I’m going to do this one,” until we found out that both of us wanted it. I told him, “You know, it’s all good. You go ahead.” He said, “Are you sure?” “Yeah.”

Let’s talk about Motown week and the song you chose – “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.”

Adam helped me out on that one. They were throwing songs at me. I had no clue which one I wanted to do. I knew “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” I’d heard it plenty of times before, but he said I should do it. I had a lot of fun singing it. I kept it the way it was. I didn’t want to change it at all, because it’s one of those songs, like “Give in to Me,” that was perfect the way it was. You don’t want to change Motown. You don’t want to touch that.

The theme was Top Downloads and you sang “Don’t Speak.” Are you a fan of No Doubt?

I am definitely a huge fan. They’re my inspiration. I grew up listening to No Doubt – their first album, the whole punk with ska. I grew up listening to that. It was really, really nice to do one of their songs on the show.

Did you get a chance to talk to Gwen Stefani when she performed on a results show?

No, because they were all rushing to get onstage. We had to leave and didn’t get a chance. I got to see her perform “Just a Girl” and it was amazing as always.

I know one theme week where you couldn’t have chosen the same song as anyone else, since you were the only finalist born in the ’90s.

Yeah, that’s what everybody was saying. It was pretty hard, just because ’90s music was wack. Not so good. Everyone else was pretty lucky with their song choices.

Still, you chose a great song for the “Year of Birth” theme – Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

I also already knew the song and I didn’t know what else to do. It was a case of just do the song you already know.

-- Fred Bronson

Photo credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

Related:

Allison Iraheta: Showbiz beginnings

Allison Iraheta: The early years

Kris Allen: The early years

Kris Allen: Showbiz beginnings

Kris Allen: Finding his groove

Kris Allen: The "Idol" chapter

Adam Lambert: The early years

Adam Lambert: Showbiz beginnings

Adam Lambert: Finding his groove

Adam Lambert: The "Idol" chapter

Comments

[Kristina]

Yay for part 3..amazing interview as always

[Becky]

I love this interview. And I love Allison. Thanks so much. So interesting about her song choices. LOL to the 90s being wack. And I knew she had good taste in music! I love early No Doubt with the ska/punk sound.

Also... so cute about how Allison and Anoop interact with the teasing about song choice. She just seems to get along with everyone there so well.

[Ithiel]

Yay, thanks for part 3. I love Allison and can't wait for the next part!

[Nikki]

Why am I loving it so much when she mentioned that she grew up listening to oldschool No Doubt? :D

That's so sweet - they helped eachother with songs (well at least she had good intentions with giving Anoop 'Beat it') :)

Hmmm 'Thriller', 'Bad'... that would be... interesting to see and hear

When reading about her pre-Idol experiences (Quinceneare, Allison and the Dudes, oldies band,etc.) I feel ashamed - that girl worked harder as a kid that I did my entire life... She's couple of years younger than me and I consider her my role model now...

Waiting for part 4...

[Andrea]

“Anytime you need me to give you a song, Anoop, just call me up and I’d be glad to help.”
I love this girl so much. She is so funny. I'm glad she gave Beat It to Anoop. That song is not good for idol and to show her vocals. Give in to Me is way better.
Can't wait for part 4...

[gary]

Thank you for the interview. Nice to hear more about Allison and the show.
She grew and grew on the show and I'm sure she will be very successful in a long career!

[Mari]

What a great interview. I love how candid she is when she talks. She's so genuine.

[NUG]

Thank you so much for the interview!! I can't wait for this CD!!!!

[Simona]

Great interview!I cannot wait for Part 4!I love Allison!This girl is amazing,she so talanted,so different,so unique...And she is so hard-working!I am totally amazed of her,she is absolutely awesome!I wish her all the best and I really cannot wait for her debut CD!I love you,Allison! :*:*:*

[pious_allison07]

no matter what she sings, allison always deliver it naturally and perfectly! just like what paula say, "you hear just one note and it's undeniably ALLISON!"

[Mari]

So, is part 4 going to be posted anytime soon?

[irina]

for such a young person she actually knows quite a lot about music and amazingly enough good music, which is not always the case when one is 17.