'American Idol' eliminee Adanna Duru interview: The show can be scary and make you want to scream

American Idol eliminated Adanna Duru and Maddie Walker, determining the fourteenth season's Top 9 artists, during the third live show on Fox.


Adanna, an 18-year-old student from Diamond Bar, CA, and Maddie, a 16-year-old student from Ankeny, IA, were sent home on '80s night based on the nationwide vote following last week's performance show.

Last week, Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. decided to use their one "Save" of the season on Qaasim Middleton, so two people had to go home this week. The "Save" is also therefore no longer in play. At the time votes were cast, Adanna had performed "I Love You I Do" by Jennifer Hudson from Dreamgirls.

During a Thursday conference call with reporters, Adanna talked about her experience on the show.

Based on your performance last week, were you shocked that of everyone in the Top 11, you apparently got the lowest votes?


Adanna Duru: Well, we don't really ever see anything that happens coming. We just let it happen and take it day by day. We don't like to second guess ourselves or regret things. We just kind of take things in and take them as they are and go with it, you know?

So at the end of the day, you have to be okay with whatever happens because you can't change what happens, you know? All you can do is be happy for people and be happy that you did what you did and move on.

How did you work through the emotional highs and lows of this process and how did your faith play a role in that?

Adanna Duru: You have to honestly just stay calm, stay as calm as you possibly can, and know that everything happens for a reason. I have a lot of faith. I'm a spiritual person. I believe that, you know, whatever happens is in God's will. You can't complain, you can't keep questioning why, why, why?

Because there are some things in this world that we just don't have control over. To be quite frank, whatever you believe in whether it's just energy, whether it's just the universe.


The universe has its way of working things out and some things we just can't control. So, you gotta just remember to stay as calm as you possibly can if you are given these opportunities. You have to execute in the most controlled, calm, professional manner.

So it does get scary and you get emotional and you kind of want to scream sometimes, but you also have to realize that whatever happens, happens or a reason. And when you're given these opportunities, you've got to seize them and you've got to go for it with all you can.

What's the best piece of advice you got from one the judges that you'll take with you?

Adanna Duru: I'd have to say that my favorite piece of advice was control and being completely in control of everything that you're doing onstage, in control of yourself and being confident in everything that you're doing. Because if you don't believe in what you're doing then no one else will.

What was running through your head the first time you were on the big stage?


Adanna Duru: It was really scary. At first it's like, "What the heck! I'm on this huge, legendary stage. What am I going to do? People are watching me." But then it's like, "Wait, I'm going to do what I was born to do, and that's to entertain and to make people happy and put smiles on people's faces."

That's what it's all about at the end of the day -- the people cheering for you and they're smiling and you're making them happy. That's what you really love getting out of all of this.

Last week, you sang that Jennifer Hudson song, which is very romantic. What was going through your mind when singing that? Anyone in particular?

Adanna Duru: "I Love You I Do" is one of my favorite songs from Dreamgirls. It actually is my favorite song from Dreamgirls. I saw it when it first came out in theaters and I was 10 I believe. That song has always stuck out most to me, so I was like, "I would love to perform this one day," and I never really found the perfect time until the movie theme.

I was like, "This is the perfect song." And, you know, I wouldn't have done anything differently. Of course, you know, you've got to take in the criticism. And of course there's always room for improvement.


I'm not saying that anyone's perfect, but if I did this entire experience over, I would've, you know, I still would've sang that song and I would've sang it the same way. I was happy with the way everything turned out. You just have to be grateful for being given this experience in the first place.

What's next for you? What's your next move?

Adanna Duru: Definitely just constantly staying active, you know? Because fans want to see that you're doing things. They don't want to see you being sad or sulking. They, you know, they look up to us.

So we have to show them that you don't stop; You have to keep going no matter what happens. So, that's what I'm going to do -- writing, recording, everything I possibly can, performing -- because I love it. It's what makes me happy... You've got to keep going.

There are so many successful people who have been knocked down countless times. You have to just remember that. That's what life is. You're given opportunities and then these opportunities slip away, but then that just means that it left more room for opportunity. So now, we're in the real world. We're in the pool of life and we're ready.


What did you learn from performing in such a large crowd that you'll be able to take with you going forward?

Adanna Duru: You learn so much because it's such a professional atmosphere. You take in everything that you're told from the judges, from the mentors, [Scott Borchetta], the vocal coaches, all the celebrity mentors, and just personal experience. Because I'm all for self improvement. I'm constantly trying to figure out how to be better, how to better myself.

I think it's just all about knowing how to improve and knowing where to draw the line between being happy for yourself and, you know, being sad for yourself -- which should never be the case. You should always be confident, you should always be grateful, and I'm so grateful to have been given this experience...

I learned that I can push myself very hard and I can still perform well under very, very high pressure. Because this entire thing, there's lots of pressure and there's lots of stress behind it. I mean, it's all good, you know? It's preparing us for what's going to happen when we do become big superstars. This was like Superstar College, like a university. It's good preparation.

The contestants seemed like a tight-knit group this year. Could you talk a little bit about that?

Adanna Duru: Man, we were so close to each other and everyone on the show is so tight. On television, it seems like it's just a competition and there's so much tension and everyone by now is like, "Wow, they must hate each other!" But that's not the case at all. We're all genuinely happy for each other and we're just hoping to see each other succeed in life, honestly.


Do you have any advice for the people still left in the competition?

Adanna Duru: Keep going and believe in yourself. I'm proud of them. I'll be watching. I have too many friends on that show. (Laughs)

What, if any, surprises did you experience with Idol? I'm sure you went into it with some preconceived notions of what to expect, especially getting this far.

Adanna Duru: For me, it was the "Wild Card" definitely, because oh man, that was just an unbelievable experience! I'm so happy that it did happen because otherwise, I wouldn't have made it this far. So, I'm very grateful for that.

Any talk about the summer tour? Is there going to be one?

Adanna Duru: We really have no idea about that, but we will be getting information about it eventually -- which is probably going to be private information until it's officially announced.


What's the most important advice you received from Scott Borchetta?

Adanna Duru: Scott, I'd say the most important advice I got from him, was to be confident in myself. I had to constantly trust that I can do anything I really set my mind to. If I'm not going to believe in myself, no one else is going to believe in me.

No one's going to believe what I'm saying if I don't believe in what I'm saying. You have to constantly be in control and in control of your vocals, your stage presence, your emotions. You have to be in control and you have to be in command.

Click here to read Maddie Walker's interview after her American Idol exit.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski