American Idol's thirteenth season eliminated Jessica Meuse and determined the competition's Top 3 finalists during Thursday night's live results show on Fox.
 
Jessica, a 23-year-old from Slapout, AL, became the tenth finalist sent home from American Idol after she received the fewest home viewer votes cast following last week's Top 4 performance show, which had featured each contestant singing three songs about love -- a breakup, a makeup and a dedication song.

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Jessica's first two performances didn't really please American Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. However, her third performance of "You and I" by Lady Gaga won everyone over.

During a Friday conference call with reporters, Jessica talked about her Idol experience. Below is a portion of her interview. Click here to read another portion. Check back with Reality TV World soon for more. 

A lot of viewers thought the judges were harder on you than any other contestant. Did you feel picked on?

Jessica Meuse: I mean at times, definitely. But I know it's part of the game and I have bigger things ahead of me, and I'm very sure that I'm going to make it happen.

At the end of the show, when you sang your final song, I think the band started to play the song and then you looked at them like you didn't know what was happening. What was the confusion about? Was there a little mix up?

Jessica Meuse: I had no in-ears or anything; I couldn't really hear anything.  I didn't know, usually there's a click that leads into when they're starting off and I couldn't hear it right, because I believe I was in front of the ground monitors, so I was trying to listen to what part of the song they were at and I just started singing.  I was like, "Screw it, I'll do it anyway." And it worked out.

So what's the difference between going on the Idol stage and being a one-woman show when you were performing in Slapout, AL?

Jessica Meuse: Well, it's completely different.  It's like two different planets because I'm so used to doing stuff all by myself back at home, but over here, it was like I had so much help with a lot -- but it's still a lot of work.  It's actually more work for me, but it's balanced amongst a bunch of people as a team. 

So I think playing in the bars and my stressful life before, it was self-rewarding in that I was doing what I love, but I think it built the necessary character to get through what I've been going through for the past three months and I wouldn't change it and I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I think it really kept my head on straight this whole time.

"Blue Eyed Lie" sounded phenomenal with the band.  I don't know if that's your first time doing that, with the full band in back of you, but a lot of times on the Idol tour, they allow somebody to do an original song. [Colton Dixon] and [Angela "Angie" Miller] each performed one last year. Do you think they're going to let you do "Blue Eyed Lie" on the tour?

Jessica Meuse: They better let me do "Blue Eyed Lie" on the tour.  I really hope so.

I know that you've probably got a lot of material written for an album.  I'm sure people have started hitting you up already.  Did Keith talk to you about Nashville yet?

Jessica Meuse: Keith mentioned some people talking about me and I believe he was referring to my songwriting and stuff, but we didn't get into a real in-depth conversation.  I got swept away into press.

Was it nerve-racking getting up onstage and singing?  I think you had things down pat by the time you sang the Lady Gaga song.

Jessica Meuse: Oh, I did, and I felt good every week.  I really do by best, and to me, that's all that matters -- that I feel good about it and that I make my fans happy, because I'm very fan-oriented and I love my fans so much.  That's rewarding to me.  You take what the judges say, you take what other people say, sure, but ultimately, it's how you feel and how your fans are happy.

Are you grand marshalling a parade this weekend in your hometown?

Jessica Meuse: I'm trying to.  It really depends when my flight gets in... I love my hometown, they've done so much and they just continue to do it and they just amaze me as people.

"Blue Eyed Lie" got a lot of national exposure.  You got to perform it several times.  Every time you did it, it got stronger than the time before.  What is it like to experience an original song getting such a great reception from everyone in the studio, but also from fans online and beyond?

Jessica Meuse: It's like so surreal.  I can't even think of words to describe it.  That song is so real to me and it happened to me, I lived it.  That's word for word. It's so honest and it's so bare.  It's my soul and it's like taking my diary and just reading it on national television. 

To hear that it has national exposure, to be on that stage and singing it, is such a huge blessing for me.  And for people to actually like it, it's just absolutely amazing, and I couldn't put it all into words if I tried.

In the last few weeks, has the competition felt any different from earlier times in the competition when it comes to the increased stress level and what not?

Jessica Meuse: It's definitely more stressful.  The less people there are, the higher your chance of being sent home obviously, but also, there's only so many people to fill a two-hour show, so you're doing more work, actually. 

The Top 4, we did so much work.  We were doing so much stuff in one day that it was like, by the end of the day, we were just done.  We were like, "Okay, time to go to bed."  So it gets more and more stressful along the way.

You've spoken a lot about original songs.  Do you think that if you were able to play more originals songs it would've altered the way the competition went about for you?

Jessica Meuse: If I did play original songs, it probably would have changed some of the outcomes, at least for a little while.  It really depends on what America wants to hear.  Sometimes, people want to hear something new that they've never heard before, but sometimes people want to hear something that they're very familiar with. 

It changes like the weather at times, but I think it could've changed it.  But I would not want anything any other way.  I believe that everything happens for a reason and there's a reason that last night happened and I'm cool with it.  I'm ready to move up and beyond and just keep on going.

On that note, you've spoken a lot about what's next, that this isn't the end for you.  You tweeted last night that this isn't the end, it's just the beginning.  What is next for you?  What's your plan?

Jessica Meuse: Well after the Idol tour, I want to collaborate with people.  I want to write.  I want to start putting together a CD.  I want to do the graphic work for it or at least have some part in making the art work, and I want to see if I can get in a little bit of acting.  I want to produce.  I want to engineer.  I want to have a studio and be a touring artist.  I want to do absolutely everything. 

Any collaborations with your fellow competitors in the works?

Jessica Meuse: You know what, I would really love to collaborate with [Majesty Rose], like, I love Majesty.

I'm sure you don't want to relive this, but there was quite a bit of drama back in Hollywood Week with your group and one of the mothers. So looking back, what do you make of that whole situation and do you hope that she's been watching and seeing you make it all the way to fourth place?

Jessica Meuse: Well just to be blunt, I really don't care about that lady.  I feel bad that she was so mean like that.  I'm a strong believer in just being kind to people, treating people the way you want to be treated. 

And the edit, they did make me look kind of snide, and I felt like bad about it because I'm really not that way.  I didn't know how to handle that, so I just walked away.  What do you do when somebody won't even let you talk?  I was like, "Whoa, where'd this come from?"

But I've relived it about a billion times now, and I mean, it's all good.  It all happened for a reason, like I keep saying about everything.  But I just hope that she's happy and I hope her daughter is doing well, because her daughter is a very sweet girl.  I just wish the best for them.

During a Friday conference call with reporters, Jessica talked about her Idol experience. Above is a portion of her interview. Click here to read another portion. Check back with Reality TV World soon for more. 


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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