Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Janell Wheeler admits she might have made a strategic mistake during the first round of the ladies’ semifinals on American Idol.

She had tried to inject a country flavor into Heart’s “What About Love,” but felt like the song lost its edge.

So she performed more of a rock version of the song Tuesday night.

It didn’t go over all that well. Certainly not with the judges.

And her Idol journey ended when she was eliminated Thursday night.

“In order for me to really have secured a place next week, I should have gone ahead and brought the guitar out and performed a top 40 hit like ‘American Boy’ (her audition song), which I was definitely planning to do next week.

“As I progress in my career, I will be sticking with the style that I do best, which is close to my audition.”

Have no mistake, the 24-year-old Tampa, Fla., resident who calls herself Sunshine Cowgirl plans to pursue a career in the music business. She says she’s doubtful she’ll return to a job in wine sales.

Prior to Idol, she had dabbled in a variety of genres, from musical theater to hip-hop, but said she always came back to country music.

And that’s where she thinks her future lies, saying “hopefully, I’m Nashville bound.”

Not that she wouldn’t like to stir up country music “with a little refreshing take, (but) nothing too over the top.

“I would love to infuse a couple of different styles to make it my own and really put my stamp on it.”

As for her elimination on Idol, it didn’t really come as a shock, Janell said.

“I am a very hopeful person, but that day, for some reason, I had this feeling. I even called my parents and said, ‘Be prepared. I don’t have a good feeling about today,'” she said in a conference call with the media Friday afternoon.

“I don’t think I was particularly the worst, but I wasn’t the best. I was in that danger zone.”