Angie Miller who is partially deaf was a hot favourite in the American Idol Season 12 and melt the hearts of millions when she sang her creation “You Set Me Free” during the Hollywood Round. Angie Miller is often in the top ranks for votes and never in the bottom group, got eliminated during the last week’s Top 3 face off, fans were shocked by the results. Angie shared her thoughts after her elimination:
Do you feel that winning Idol would bring you that much more chance of a successful career or could what happened last week be even better for you?
Angie: I mean yeah in some ways it could be definitely. I feel like in a way that I’ve already won; like top three is amazing and the exposure I’ve had on the show and the journey and everything has been incredible. I really wouldn’t change a thing, and I’m proud of how far I’ve gotten.
I have a question about it was so interesting to me watching the show how the judges like the piano, the piano, the piano, and I’m wondering did that get frustrating for you that obviously that’s a skill that you have in your skill set but that it seemed so important to them?
Angie: Yeah. I mean honestly at first it was upsetting because I feel like they thought I was only good when I was playing the piano, and I was like, “I promise you I can be just as good off the piano.” I had to work and prove that to them, and I feel like in the end I did. I’m so glad I did that because I mean I love being off piano just as much as I love being on it.
And you were so comfortable and they said—and I like that you basically said that you were buoyed by your trip home; that part of that was why when you came out with the Pink performance. What about it—because you seemed you did, as the judges said, seemed so much more confident at that point. What about it built your confidence at that moment?
Angie: Well, I just remember being in Beverly, Massachusetts doing that concert with the thousands of people there and being on that stage and feeling so free and just like so in the moment. I remember thinking why don’t I feel like this on the American Idol stage, and so I really feel like I just brought that feeling from that concert with me on American Idol, and I feel like it showed and it paid off.
We’ve heard that maybe you and Adam Lambert could duet on the finale. Could you speak to that?
Angie: Well, that’s the great thing is that I’m not going anywhere; I’m still here. I’m going to start rehearsing and practicing for the finale, and I’m so excited. I don’t know 100% what will be going on yet like what we’ll be singing and stuff, but I’m so excited just to sing again. I’ll be singing on the finale and I just really can’t wait.
I saw on your Twitter account that your whole family has gotten a dream big tattoo. Maybe tell me a little bit about what their support meant to you after the elimination, and a little bit about the tattoo.
Angie: Well, dream big is like a motto of mine; it has been for a long time now, and probably like a year ago I got the tattoo of dream big. Throughout this whole competition dream big has been such a huge part of it, and my whole family, all of them, surprised me and they all got it tattooed as well to help support me. I’ve even seen other places—I have other friends who have gotten it. Just the incredible amount of support that friends and family have given me through tattoos it’s like it’s the most random thing but it means so much because it’s so permanent and it’s so real. Yeah I love my family and their support is amazing.
So the home town packages they aired during last Wednesday night’s show really seemed to focus on how much adversity Kree has seemed to overcome and not to be disrespectful in any way but it kind of presented her background as a bit of a sob story. Do you think that unfortunately played any role in the vote, and if so, does it frustrate you in any way that given that it is a singing competition that maybe your elimination wasn’t entirely based on just talent?
Angie: You know I don’t really know about the whole voting. I know that one week people can be on top and they can be on the bottom. I don’t know if that so much swayed the voting or anything, and honestly I don’t really know about that, but I do know that it did not disappoint me at all. I love both of those girls, and they both deserve to be there, and I would never ever be like, “Oh it’s a sob story,” no; that’s her life, and she’s real and she’s one of the most genuine girls that I know. Like honestly I love her so much so yeah I didn’t even really think about that honestly.
Okay. Great. You clearly seemed shocked by your elimination. I’m sure you don’t want to come across as arrogant in any way, but it seems like you had been expecting to end up in the final two. I guess my question is was that actually the case, and could you talk a little bit about where all those tears were coming from?
Angie: Well, every Thursday night is always shocking. It’s always an emotional crazy night, but I mean I did feel confident in my performances and everything. Like honestly I was hoping and dreaming to be a part of that finale, and I really wanted it so of course it was shocking. I wanted it so badly so it was definitely shocking, but even though it’s the end of American Idol this is just the start. This is the beginning, and now I can start planning my future so it’s exciting at the same time.
What was going through your mind as you watched kind of the recap video of your time on Idol and as you tried to sing that final song? What were the thoughts that were kind of going through your mind?
Angie: I still just can’t believe that I was one of those people; like in the huge arena of thousands of people that I was one of those people that was like, “Welcome back to American Idol and started the show off. It’s incredible that way back then, what seems like years ago, that I dreamed of being a part of the top three and being able to sing at the finale. It’s incredible to see this whole journey and how it’s all happened, and I’m still here. Like I’m part of the top three and I’m going to be singing on Thursday’s finale like it’s incredible. It’s an amazing journey.
I’m wondering if you could describe for us what those first few moments were like back stage after the results?
Angie: I think it was just a feeling of wow okay. This really happened okay. I’m off the show. This is what it feels like. You know it’s just kind of … well, that just happened, time to just move on and start thinking about the future. I didn’t want to dwell on how sad I was or whatever, but I think that first initial thought was, “Okay. I just got voted off. What’s next? What’s the future going to hold?” That was like the first thought.
What do you see in your immediate future? I know you have the tour, right, and then what happens after that? Do you have any idea?
Angie: Well, yeah there is the tour, and then I just hope to get signed and put out an album, put out music that’s what I want to do first definitely to start. I want to focus on my music and maybe even go on another tour as soon as possible, and eventually I want to do acting, like everything. I just want to do so much.
Can you give us a hint of what kind of music you’d like to make? There was some indication that you might want to go in to the Christian music world. Is that your plan or would you prefer to like go in a more pop direction?
Angie: It’s neither of those really. I’m not going to go in to the Christian genre. I’m not going to go in to the pop. I want to have music that has meaning and is real. It’s real like stuff. I don’t want to sing about just like—I don’t know. I don’t want to have like dance party music but at the same time I don’t want to put people to sleep so I definitely want to incorporate piano and the soulful piano sound with a lot of edge. I love the rock. If it’s a fast song it’s more rock as opposed to pop, but I don’t know. I know the message that I want to send out and I know the sounds that I want to do and I can’t wait to show it to people.
You said that you love the two girls so much and they’re such good people, Candice and Kree, be a little more specific about that. Tell us a little bit about each of them, kind of what it is you like about them. What’s interesting about them as a people?
Angie: My gosh honestly I love talking about them. I mean me and Kree have been roommates since top 20, right. We’ve been roommates forever. We’re so close. She’s like—I mean I can’t imagine going through this competition without her. We’ve been supporting each other so much and it’s weird waking up in the morning without here there anymore. She’s like not my roommate anymore so that’s like strange, but I love her. Candice we’re gotten so close. I mean with the top five girls we just all go so close, and Candice is—they’re both so incredibly talented and deserve to be where they are.
I saw that you did a lot of Jessie J. Who would you say is your biggest musical influence and maybe who would you love to do a dream duet with?
Angie: Definitely a huge musical impression of mine 100% Jessie J. I mean like I was saying earlier I love the soulful sound with like the edge to it, and lots of her songs have that, and I’ve done lots of her songs on that show. They’re such soulful beautiful songs. They have this certain amount of edge and grit to it that I love, and so she’s definitely a huge musical influence. I would absolutely love to do a duet with her one day that would just be amazing.
What’s like one of the best pieces of advice you got from the judges?
Angie: I think what really sticks out to me when I think of everything that they’ve said is that they didn’t just appreciate like my voice or just me, whatever, but they appreciated just the artistry and the songwriting and knowing that I know who I am as a person. I love how they really appreciated that and they stressed that was important to never lose your songwriting and who you are and what you stand for. I think that’s what stuck out with me the most. It wasn’t really a critique but it was just them saying, “Thank you for being that way, keep being that way,” and that meant the world to me.
I’m wondering just what your favorite moment was on Idol?
Angie: Favorite moment ever on Idol is still way back in Hollywood Week when I was able to do my original song ‘You Set Me Free.’ I feel like—I mean there was the audition and a few rounds before that, but I feel like that was the moment that it really started for me, and I was able to show right away America who I was as an artist, as a songwriter. That’s when everything changed for me and I was just like, “Wow. Maybe I really do have a chance of making it far in American Idol.” That’s where it all started.
Angie Miller will be on tour with the rest of gang from American Idol Season 12. To get the latest updates, follow Angie on Twitter @AngieAI12. The season finale where the next American Idol will be crowned are airing at these timings:
Star World : Singtel mio TV Ch. 301 (HD) | StarHub Ch. 501/555 (HD)
Season finale Part 1 (performance) Thursday, 16 May | 6pm and 8pm (encore)
Season finale Part 2 (results show) : Friday, 17 May | 8am (Live), 6pm and 8pm (encore)
Related articles
