At the End of Her Run, Syesha Sounds Off
Syesha Mercado courtesy Fox
Wednesday night's
Idol was the final one for
Syesha Mercado, following a surprising steady improvement over the course of the show. Despite multiple weeks in the bottom three, Syesha outlasted all the other female contestants and stood strong to the final three. Ultimately, though, she hit the end of the road, after a week in which all three judges were down on her selection of "Fever" and lack of range. On Thursday, Mercado spoke to press about her
Idol experience, her "Fever" pick, her unexpected longevity and more. Here's what she had to say about:
Her Improvement Over the Course of the Show
"I consider myself a hard worker. I'm always working, I'm always trying to improve. When I first stepped in to the competition, I was really in a little shell, I was vocal resting and it separated me from everyone else. I don't feel like I was at my full potential, because of the negative mind frame I was in. It was harming my performance. Once I got my mind right again, I felt more comfortable with myself, and the feeling of being overlooked completely subsided. It was just a matter of being consistent every week, and eventually people would recognize me, and that's exactly what happened."
What She Finds Special About the two Davids, Individually
"David A. has that beautiful smile, and he has that really good connection with the younger audience. David Cook has the connection with the younger audience and the older audience who thinks he's really charming. I feel like I'm a little sister and big sister to both the Davids. Once everyone was gone, we had a chance to have a more intimate relationship."
Who She Is as an Artist, Especially After Paula's Criticism on Tuesday
"I'm a mix of a lot of things. I'm like a black Christina Aguilera/Alicia Keys. I like pop and I like R&B and I like old-school musical things. I'm evolving. You'll know who I am when I put out an album."
The Comparison She Made Between Sam Cooke's Song on the Civil Rights Era and Her Idol Experience
"I research songs before I sing them... there's a lot of meaning for him in that song. For me, it meant something different. It touched me. It came out during a transitional time in history, and for me, this is a transitional time in my life. I'm the last female standing, I'm still here. The mix of both those things together is emotional, and the message, 'change is going to come' - for me, it's going to come."
What She Learned From her Experience on Idol
"I've learned how to relax and what to do, whether it's talking to someone really close to me, someone to confide in, or reading a book that's uplifting. I've learned ways to deal with stress, and I've learned how to prepare for a performance, to the point where you're able to enjoy what you're doing."
Her Dad's Struggle to Overcome Drug and Alcohol Addiction
"For me, [the struggles] made me the strong person that I am. It really made me sad a lot of my life, but it actually made me understand people more and be more forgiving. I told myself I'm not going to let this determine what my future is going to be, and I'm going to do something good. And I'm going to help my dad and encourage him and make him proud so that he wants to make me proud, and that's exactly what he's doing now. It's a beautiful story to tell."
Her Plans for Her Career and Her Wedding
"I want to make an album, star in a film, do Broadway, open an organic restaurant with a homeless foundation. It depends on what comes first. [My fiancé] is so supportive, and when the time is right we'll do that, but right now we're focused on the career."
How She Dealt with Being in the Bottom Three So Often
"Every week is new, and I never packed my bags. I didn't want to go home yet. If you want something, it's going to happen for you. Whoever's the most passionate, they're going win. Every week, I set a goal, and I just wasn't ready to go home. I talked to my family a lot, and they helped me stay strong."
Her Thoughts About "Fever" as Her Song Selection This Week
"I had other choices in mind, but I couldn't do them, but you go with the flow. I have no regrets."
The Producers' Happy Feet Song Pick for Her
"It's not like I could change it. It really wasn't a [singer's song]. I wasn't able to have back up dancers, most of the song was back-up singing, the whole studio-tech stuff. So, it was weird. Most of the song I wasn't even supposed to be singing."
When She Knew the Finale Would Be Between the Davids
"Probably the night before, after I got done performing. I got too many bad comments from the judges to keep me there. At this point in the game, you couldn't have that many bad comments to be there. So I accepted what it was, and I moved on. I don't feel like I failed."
Her Final Take on Things
"I'm just thankful to have this experience, and I'm appreciative of all my fans. I'm just ready to take on the world. I'm ready to take on so many things, and I'm excited about working. I am so ready!"
- Anna Dimond
Related:
"
Who should win it all? Vote now!
"
Watch video interviews with Idol finalists
"
Read Erin's in-depth recaps of every Idol
