Majesty Rose was declared one of the frontrunners during the early rounds of American Idol season 13, and had the potential to be the girl with a best chance to win against the guys (or more specifically, the White Guys with Guitars).
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be as she was eliminated in ninth place. But after she left the show, Majesty talked with reporters, including BuddyTV, about auditioning, her favorite performance, singing for the Judges’ Save, her plans for the future and more. Also, what gift did she and the other singers receive from Carrie Underwood? Read on to find out.
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Majesty’s Audition Song and Favorite Performance
We all remember Majesty’s audition, where she sang Coldplay’s “Violet Hill.” She came in and may have sang very softly, but it drew us in, as Keith Urban said at the time. I asked Majesty about why she chose that song and if she had any other options she was considering. She said that she sang a second song (one that was faster) that didn’t air during the episode.
As for “Violet Hill,” she said, “It’s just a song that I knew I could draw the judges in. It really shows off my vocal strength and dynamics. It starts off really slow and at the end I’m doing a really high note.”
Auditioning for the show is obviously a highlight, but when looking back over her time on the Idol, there are a lot of performances that stand out to her, but what is at the very top is her Rush Week performance of Pharrell’s “Happy.” “Rush Week was the week that we didn’t even know if our name would get called to perform. So I was actually first to get called. I didn’t even have to wait in the chamber at all. It was really good. So when I sang ‘Happy,’ I truly was happy when I sang that song. I was so ready to get up there.” We could definitely feel that energy during the performance.
“I’m Not Singing for America”
Shows like American Idol wouldn’t be possible without the support of viewers at home who pick up their phones and go on their computers to vote every week. Once the live shows begin, the contestants have to persuade America to keep them around.
But Majesty took a different approach and mindset when it came to who she was singing these songs for. “Usually, when I sing my songs and when I’m singing, I’m not really thinking about what America would like,” she said. “I’m thinking about what I would like because it’s really about me.”
She continued, “I’m not singing for America. Yes, they’re the ones voting for me, but really this is my time to present myself. So I think about what will make me most happy, most comfortable.” Even though I can understand why she’s saying that she chooses songs based on what makes her happy, that might be part of the reason why she kept landing in the Bottom 3 in recent weeks — she chose songs that she liked rather than ones that would suit her voice and get her farther in the competition.
Singing for the Save and Being Eliminated
Speaking of being happy, after Ryan Seacrest announced last week that Majesty received the fewest number of votes and would have to sing for the Judges’ Save, she seemed ready to perform and surprisingly upbeat. When asked about that behavior, she replied, “I was truly happy. I had to make a quick decision to be happy at that moment because, seriously, I had to be grateful for how far I already made it. I wasn’t even thinking about the judges or if they would save me or not. I was just thinking about right now I’m going to sing for myself and just be really proud of how far I’ve made it.”
To that end, it actually seems really fitting that she chose to reprise “Happy” for that moment. “I definitely wanted to sing something that reminded people, ‘Oh my gosh, remember, I’m the same girl who sang ‘Happy,'” she explained.
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Dexter the Flirt, Making Friends and Free Time
Majesty’s journey on Idol may have ended in her elimination, but she has so many great memories to look back on that she’ll be able to remember and cherish. She became friends with Jessica Meuse. “We were roommates for a lot of the time and we just really clicked right at the beginning,” she said. “We really just care about each other a lot. I think even beyond this, we’re going to be really good friends.”
As for the other contestants, she and Alex Preston “have similar tastes in music and we both really inspire each other a lot. … [Jessica and I] were the closest, then Alex was my next bestie.”
Then there’s Dexter Roberts, who she says is a big flirt. “We make fun of Dexter when he takes pictures because he has his face, he has this celebrity face already. I think he knows he’s kind of a ladies’ man now.” There’s something humorous to know about Dexter.
The contestants are with each other constantly every week, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that they become close with each other and hang out outside of rehearsals and the show. In their free time, Majesty and Jessica rested a lot. But they would also “chill out at the pool. I would be practicing music in our room. Then we would go exercise a lot. We went to cycling classes a lot.”
Carrie Underwood‘s Gifts
We all know how kind and caring season 4 winner Carrie Underwood is. So it was nice to hear that she delivered gifts to each of this year’s singers: necklaces and handwritten letters. “All of our necklaces have our initial on them and it’s so cute,” Majesty described. “In my letter, she just said to keep smiling and I light up when I’m on stage. That meant everything.” While the girls received necklaces, the guys were given dog tags.
Carrie is one of Majesty’s favorite Idol alumni. She’s also a fan of Jason Castro, Casey Abrams and even a certain season 8 glam rocker. “Adam Lambert actually inspired me a lot because of how different he was. He just came out and was so different than everybody else on the show. He was extreme. I really liked that.”
Looking to the Future: Music, TV and More
She may not be on the show anymore, but Majesty still has the tour to look forward to this summer. After that? Aside from pursuing a music career, she also wants to dabble in acting. “People keep saying they can see me on Broadway. That would be really fun. I would love to do so many things, like just being a commercial model … maybe be a representative for natural hair.”
If she went into acting, she sees herself going down the Disney Channel route. “People always say I look like 15 or 16 anyway,” she admitted. “I could really be over there. I’ve always wanted to be on Disney.”
As for her music, she wants it to be “a mix of the acoustic, like how I really do love Coldplay. In the end, it would be the happy type of music [that people can dance to]. My CD would be really inspiring, like you would laugh one minute and then the next minute you would cry because it would be like a rollercoaster.” Considering how often she mentions the word ‘happy,’ maybe her debut album can be called Happy. Wouldn’t that be fitting?
Majesty also mentioned her faith and religion a few times during the interview. She wants all different facets of herself to be represented in her music, including her faith, but she says, “I don’t specifically think that I’m going to say, ‘Oh, Christian artist because I’m a Christian person.’ … If I’m in an alternative genre, people are going to know what I stand for. … They’re going to feel really happy.”
In terms of what kind of an audience she’d be directing her music toward, Majesty doesn’t want to limit herself. “Kids are going to like it and then grown-ups are going to like it. That’s what I really think. It’s going to be one of those albums that everybody would be able to relate to.”
American Idol airs Wednesdays at 8pm and Thursdays at 9pm on FOX.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
