Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Pia Toscano confesses she wasn’t feeling very optimistic about her career as a singer back on April 7.

That’s the night American Idol voters booted Pia, unquestionably one of the most talented singers among the Season 10 cast.

“When I was being eliminated, that whole process, all I could think is, ‘I’m finishing ninth. My career is over,'” Pia said Monday.

Well, not quite.

She made the comment on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, just before he premiered her debut single, “This Time.”

It’s the song she’ll be performing every night this summer as part of the American Idol top 11 tour. And it’s the song that will serve as the lead single for her debut album, which she says should be released sometime this fall.

“This Time” was initially scheduled for release on Tuesday. It finally showed up on iTunes this morning.

The song was written by Ester Dean, who’s written hits for Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and many others. Pia calls it an “empowerment kind of song.”

“I feel like its a ladies’ anthem. It pertains to my journey on American Idol, to a relationship. This is my time,” she told Ryan, later adding. “This is one of the songs I heard and loved.”

Pia told Ryan she’s about eight tunes into her debut album and is excited because “there are all these dream producers I’m working with.”

Those would include Rodney Jerkins, Harvey Mason Jr., Heather Bright and Rock Mafia.

Of course, Ryan says he’s still asked all the time why Pia was eliminated from Season 10 so early. Pia says she frequently gets the same question.

Ryan’s answer: “I say, ‘She planned it for sympathy. That way, when she comes back with a single, you’ll love her even more.'”

That drew a laugh from Pia.

“That’s a good theory. But it’s not exactly how it happened.”

To listen to Pia’s entire interview with Ryan and see lots of photos from her visit to the radio studio, go here.