'American Idol' eliminee Kristen O'Connor: I had what it takes to make the Top 2

American Idol ousted Kristen O'Connor during last week's live results show on Fox, determining the thirteenth season's Top 12 finalists. 
 
Kristen, a 24-year-old nurse tech from Sebastian, FL, became the first finalist sent home from American Idol's thirteenth season after she received the fewest home viewer votes cast following the week's performance show, which featured the Top 13 finalists performing songs which they believed best represented them as individual artists.


Kristen's elimination became official after Idol judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban announced they weren't going to prevent her departure by using the one "The Judges' Save" of the season. Kristen had been in the bottom three with M.K. Nobilette and Malaya Watson.

During a Friday conference call with reporters, Kristen talked to Reality TV World about whether she was surprised to get eliminated and whether she thought the judges would save her. To read what she had to say, click here. Below is another portion of her interview. Check back with us soon for more. 

Out of everything you've been told by the judges and everyone on Idol since you started, what's been the most important piece of advice you'll take with you?

Kristen O'Connor: I think something Jennifer Lopez said to me last night and just something I gathered throughout the whole competition was just that it's so important to be yourself and to stick to what you know and to be authentic, because that's when you really shine. 


Throughout this whole process, I've learned that my best performances and my best interviews and everything have just been when I've been the most myself as I've ever been.  Yeah, that's really something I'm taking from it, and I've learned from this whole thing.

Do you have a specific type of album you're planning on making, or a kind of music that you want to focus on?

Kristen O'Connor: Yeah, it'll definitely be an original sound for me, but I see myself as kind of like an R&B pop, soulful singer.  I love really soulful, sultry music, but definitely with the popular side to it too.

You're learning about yourself, you're going through this journey in front of the whole entire country and other countries, and I want to know what are some strengths and weaknesses that you discovered about yourself along this process as an artist?

Kristen O'Connor: One of my weaknesses I have picked up on is that I'm definitely my biggest critic for sure.  Sometimes the judges would praise me, and then they would say one little thing that would be negative, and that would be the thing that I would latch onto. 


And just getting in my head and like thinking -- I would think a lot about things, and I guess focusing on negatives a little bit too much, I think, is definitely one of my weaknesses because I'm definitely a perfectionist.  I want everything to be perfect.  But yeah, I guess that that would be something I need to work on, is just being proud, because not everything will be perfect. 

Yeah, so I would say that that's one thing that I really need to work on.  But one of my strengths, I think -- and what I kept hearing from everyone throughout the competition -- was that I had a really strong voice.  Chris Daughtry said I was his favorite of the day, the day I sang for him.  He said my voice gave him chills.  He told me my voice was sick.

Randy Jackson, when I sang "Beautiful Disaster" for him, he was like, "Wow.  I didn't know you could sing like that, like, your vocals are wild."  Ricky Minor said things about it.  Harry, even last night or even the other night when I sang, he was like, "You are a really good vocalist."  Yeah, I guess my voice, I've gotten a lot of really awesome compliments on just my vocals, so that's definitely, I think, one of my strengths.

I know that you grew up singing in church and in school.  Do you think all those years really prepared you for American Idol, or do you think you can't be prepared for the show?  Is it something where you really just get in there and roll with the punches as you go?

Kristen O'Connor:  No, it definitely prepared me for sure.  I learned everything I know about music from being in church and from working with Ms. Harvey and from working in high school.  I mean, I was also a music major when I started college too for the first year.  Yeah, but I mean, I've had so much training, and all of that has helped develop who I am as an artist.


I mean, as far as like being prepared for the competition, that's not really something that you can prepare for.  Competing and stuff like that, that's a completely different side.  But as far as the music aspect of it, yeah, I mean, I feel like it definitely helped prepare me for sure.

What was it like to watch a replay of the show last night?

Kristen O'Connor: Actually, I haven't seen the show.  I've just seen little clips here and there from interviews I've had today.  But yeah, I haven't gotten a chance to watch the whole show yet, but from what I have seen, it's emotional.  But, I think when I watch it back I'm going to be proud.  That's the way I feel about, it at least now.

If you were to guess, who's going to be the Final 2 left standing, knowing the contestants the way you do?

Kristen O'Connor:  I really have no idea.  I really don't know.  I think everyone is so talented.  I was hoping it was going to be me because I definitely think that I have what it takes, and I think the producers and my vocal coaches and Randy -- I definitely think that they thought so too. 


It's unfortunate, but everyone who's left is extremely talented, and they're all exceptional artists, and they're all so different.  So I don't know.  I think no matter who it is, it's going to be a good one.

How did you balance your American Idol journey with your relationship with your boyfriend?

Kristen O'Connor:  Well, he and I have been together for awhile now, and he's really, really, really supportive, and he has never once made me feel like he was holding me back from following my dreams. 

I think that that's why it works out so well, because he knows what it takes, and he understands how important this is to me. And so, he's never, ever made me feel like I couldn't do something or I couldn't -- like he was going to hold me back from talking to people.

I know that some other people have been dealing with that because it can definitely be strenuous on relationships, but for me, he is so understanding and so supportive, and he doesn't make me feel like I can talk to someone.  He gets it, and so that's really important. 


And also, we've been kind of this way for a little while.  He is in pharmacy school, and I had just finished nursing school in Orlando, so we were a couple hours apart.  Yeah, we're kind of used to it, and I think the trust is there.  Yeah, it wasn't too hard on us.  It was okay.

Can you tell us a little bit about your friendship with the other contestants?  Was there someone you were particularly close to?

Kristen O'Connor:  Honestly, I got so close to everyone really, like really.  [Emily Piriz] and I got pretty close because she was from Orlando, so all our plane rides out to and from L.A. we rode together every time.  And yeah, we were close that way.  Then my roommate was Jessica Meuse, and so she and I got close. 

I got close to [Sam Woolf] because he was my group member in Hollywood Week, and he's awesome.  [Majesty Rose], I mean, they're all great.  Malaya, I mean, everyone.  MK and I got pretty close, everyone -- [Alex Preston], all of them, honestly, everyone.  I feel like a really close connection with them and I know all of us are going to keep in touch without a doubt.

What message do you want to give your fans?  How can they keep track of you?  What's immediately next on your radar musically?

Kristen O'Connor:  Yeah, please, please follow me on Twitter... and Instagram, both of those.  And then also, I have my new Facebook account that's verified as well, my fan page, that they can like and follow on there.  I'll be posting there frequently.  For me next, I'm keeping my options open.  I really want to continue to pursue music, and I mean, I'm definitely going to pursue music, and I want to make an album. 


I'm excited to get in a studio and start writing and to get it out there and to show them what's next, and also, I'm interested in anything that this can bring for me.  If it opens the door to musicals or Broadway or acting, anything like that, I'm definitely interested and going to just see where it takes me.  I'm excited.

What about on a personal level?  Do you have any opportunities to relax after this huge emotional journey?  Are you going on vacation, taking some family time?  How about that?

Kristen O'Connor:  I haven't even thought that far yet.  It's been a crazy, busy time, but I'm sure at least a few days home will be nice after all of this.  So that'll definitely happen I'm sure.

How hard was it for you to have to leave everyone and leave American Idol?

Kristen O'Connor:  Yeah, honestly, last night when I went back to where we were staying, I was just thinking, "Gosh.  Even if I'm not on the show, I wish I could just stay and be here with these people and experience the rest of this with them," because I've gotten so close with them. 

I mean, now being outside the competition, I'm really rooting for them, for everyone, because they are so talented.  I remember one night on one of our off nights, everybody was just playing guitar, and I remember just kind of taking it all in and being like, "Oh my gosh."  These are some of the most talented people in the country, and I'm just so blessed to be a part of it and to experience it.


More than one person usually from every season is extremely successful, and I know that I know them personally, and no matter what happens for each of us, everyone is so talented.  And I'm just like so blessed to get to know them.  I'm just really excited to see how it's all going to play out.  But yeah, it was really hard for me to leave them because they really truly honestly feel like family to me.

Above is another portion of Kristen's interview from a recent conference call with reporters. To read what she had to tell Reality TV World specifically, click here. Check back with us soon for more. 






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski