Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Kree Harrison celebrated her 23rd birthday on Friday.

And while she might not have been able to celebrate an American Idol win as well, the gal from Woodville, Texas, didn’t seem too disappointed.

Kree Harrison arrives for the American Idol finale. (AP Photo)

And she has a June 4 date to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

Plus a summer tour to look forward to with all her new friends on Idol.

She called the news that she’d perform at the Grand Ole Opry “the best birthday present I’ve gotten in my life” and admitted she was in tears when Idol judge Keith Urban broke the news to her Thursday night.

As for her new single, Kree said she knew it was perfect the minute it was pitched to her.

“I feel like it’s 100 percent me,” she said of the song co-written by Katrina Elam, Gordie Sampson, and Steve McEwan. “I couldn’t be more happy to call it my own. I don’t feel like I could have wrote the song better myself.”

Among her other comments in a Friday afternoon conference call with the media.

* There was no strategy involved when she decided to sing first on Wednesday’s show, a move that allowed Candice Glover to end the night with a show-stopping version of “I Who Have Nothing.” Said Kree: “At that moment, I was like, ‘I don’t care if I go first or second. I mean, it was just the two of us. I get to sing at the finale and I’m freaking excited about it. They said, ‘What do you want.’ I asked her (Candice) first and she said, ‘I want to go second.’ So I said, ‘Fine. I don’t care.’ I was just happy to be able to perform again.”

* Despite Candice’s well-received last number, Kree said she had “no idea” what the outcome would be on Thursday because they’re such different singers with different artists. But she considers the outcome a “win-win” because she accomplished what she wanted to do on the show, creating a following of fans. Despite not winning, she repeatedly used the phrase “over the moon” to describe what had happened in the last 48 hours.

* She’s rooting for Kellie Pickler to win Dancing with the Stars, has run into her frequently at the television studios and hopes to someday collaborate with her.

* She had a chance at a record deal when she was much younger, but didn’t want to put out a bubble-gum, pop-country album. In hindsight, she thinks it’s best that didn’t work out to allow her more time for “soul searching,” as a person and as an artist. She considers herself a more traditional country artist now but also wants to make music that’s radio friendly.

* Her advice to Season 13 contestants: First, “pace yourself,” because the show includes a grueling schedule. Second, know yourself as an artist and stay true to that. “That’s what will make you stand out,” she said.

* As for her upbeat attitude, despite the fact that she lost both parents at a young age: “It’s your choice,” she responded when asked why she’s always smiling. “You get to live you’re life happy. For me, this was the sweet after the bitter. I like to share that, and hopefully others will feel the same way.”