Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Hollie Cavanagh was eliminated from American Idol in fourth place Thursday night.

But before departing, she must have set some sort or record for perseverance.

After all, she had made four previous visits to American Idol’s bottom three. Plus one to its bottom two just a week ago.

All five times, she survived.

So it was fitting that when she was eliminated Thursday night, she went out with a celebratory rendition of “The Climb” rather than the tears that marked her first Idol audition two summers ago.

On Friday, the 18-year-old from McKinney, Texas, by way of Liverpool, England, talked to the media about her Idol experience. Here’s what she had to say:

* About her upcoming music:  “I’d like my album to be kind of on the pop side, but with a little bit of soul.  Music like what’s on the top of the charts right now.”

* She says she has no idea who will wind up winning.  “It’s definitely going to be a fight to the finish line.”  She said they’re all amazing.

* She says Phillip is very unique and has an amazing voice.  “Josh takes you to a whole different place when he sings.”  Jessica is amazing, too.  She’s 16, but sings like she’s in her mid-20s, Hollie says.

* She says she’s still glad she got to perform “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and that she did understand the song.  That said, watching it back, she said she realizes there were parts of the performance she could have done better.

* She said she was trying to prepare herself for elimination Thursday, that he had a feeling in “her gut” that her Idol time might be over.  Even though she had been in the bottom three before, she said Thursday had a “different feeling.”

* She admits to being a little concerned when she didn’t see herself in the early episodes of Idol this season; she didn’t appear at all until the Vegas episode.  “I had friends ask me, ‘Are you sure you tried out this year?'”

* Asked about Idol’s tendency to throw themes focused on older songs at the singers, Hollie said: “Sometimes it’s difficult when we get songs and we don’t know what they are.  Sometimes we did wish we could sing songs that are on the radio now.”  But she said she thinks Idol has done a decent job of mixing it up this season.

* She says she would love to do a duet with Josh.  “That would be pretty fun.”  She said they became close friends in Hollywood and helped keep one another sane during the Idol process.