Idol Chatter & Voice Views

When Janelle Arthur releases a debut album, don’t expect the country-pop you so often hear on country radio stations today.

The afternoon after her ouster from American Idol, the 23-year-old from Oliver Springs, Tenn., said her goal will be to make a more “root-sy” record.

From left, Amber Holcomb, Kree Harrison, Angie Miller and Candice Glover console Janelle Arthur (center) after her elimination from American Idol. (FOX Photo)

Janelle says she thinks there’s room in the market for music that’s on the more traditional side of country.

But, of course, she also wants the music to be “radio worthy.”

“If you could mix Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Jewel, that’s what I’d be going for,” Janelle said in a Friday afternoon conference call with the media.

Janelle wound up fifth on Idol. She became the first female eliminated from the show Thursday night when the judges deadlocked 2-2 on whether to save her as she delivered another superb version of “You Keep Me Hanging On.”

Nearly 24 hours later, Janelle said she was still a little unclear on who wanted to save her — she thinks it was Keith and Mariah — and who didn’t.

But she said she was thrilled to finish fifth in her third try at Idol success considering the amount of talent — and especially female talent — that turned out for Season 12.

Janelle Arthur sings for the save Thursday night on American Idol. (FOX Photo)

* Janelle says she has her own prediction on who will win Idol, but isn’t going public with it because she’s such good friends with all the remaining contestants.

* She said she’s very happy a female will win after a five-year drought. “America can’t go wrong” with any one of the four contestants remaining, she said.

* She said she realized in Hollywood Week that the female talent for Season 12 was “out the roof.” And she said the level of talent among the ladies really “hit her” when Angie Miller performed an original at the piano that week.

* Trying out for the show for a third time, she said she never felt “intimidated” by the remade judging panel that includes new judges Keith, Mariah and Nicki Minaj. “I really loved this panel from the beginning.”

* Other than the fact that she didn’t get to sing an original, she feels she got to show off pretty much everything she can do musically, from entertaining with upbeat songs to delivering heartfelt ballads, guitar in hand.

* Her dream collaborations would include Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and Shania Twain.

* One of her proudest moments was singing “I Will” on Beatles week because she got to close the show and suspects some people might have thought she wouldn’t be able to pull off a Beatles songs.

* Wondering why Janelle picked “Dumb Blonde” as the Dolly song to cover? She said it was because it was the only song of Dolly’s for which she had worked out a current arrangement.

” About those rhinestone boots she wore on rock week … “I did get my boots back from Nicki, but I think they had to chase her down and take them off her feet,” Janelle said jokingly.

* And, yes, she thought she might be the contestant going home this week. “I really did kind of feel it, just from the past few weeks and the vibe I was getting.”