Idol Chatter & Voice Views

After seven weeks of performing in the American Idol finals, Anoop Desai discovered the secret to a carefree performance — no judging.

Asked during his farewell interview Thursday afternoon about his swan-song performance of “Dim All the Lights,” Anoop said singing after he knew he had been eliminated really wasn’t that difficult.

“Actually, that was the easiest performance I’ve ever done, and hopefully that’s going to be how it is on tour,” the 21-year-old from Chapel Hill, N.C., said. “There’s something about the burden of having four people sitting in front of you that you know are your harshest critics.

“With that burden relieved, I was free to sing the song with personality, I think. That’s the freest I’ve been on stage. Watching it back, I think it shows that I was very relaxed and, honestly, that was the persona I’ve been trying to put on stage for a little while,” he added.

Of course, under different circumstances, Anoop’s final performance might not have been so pressure free.

Until this week, the new judges’ save had been in play all season, meaning contestants were literally singing that final song for their Idol life, knowing a superlative performance might sway those very four judges.

But the judges used their one and only save on Matt Giraud last week, meaning the lowest two vote-getters Wednesday night — Anoop and Lil Rounds — had no chance for redemption.

Yet Anoop said he had no regrets that the save wasn’t around when he needed it.

“One of the things I learned from the show was, you’ve got to roll with the punches. Things are not always going to work out for you. This was a format change. I don’t think, ultimately, it changed anything because, as I think we all know, the only real order that matters is who’s at the top (on Idol). Everything after that, you can do whatever you want with your career.”

And, have no doubt, Anoop plans on a career in music. A former featured soloist with the Clef Hangers, an a cappella group at the University of North Carolina, says he wants to go “the pop, R&B route. I want to put my own soul in pop songs … I’m looking forward to making that album.”

But, first, in about a week, he’ll returned to his beloved Chapel Hill, where supporters rallied behind him throughout his Idol run.

“What do I want to do when I get back?,” Anoop mused, repeating a question. “I want to sit on a couch. I want to wake up at noon. And then I want to go get a Sunrise biscuit.”

After all, there’s an Idol summer tour right around the corner.