It’s become part of the American Idol production schedule. On a mid-week day in April of each year, the top contestants file one by one into an office on the lot where Idol is live, to speak with Billboard. The sessions begin at 10 a.m. and conclude around 5 p.m. It’s right there on the printed rundown along with vocal coach meetings and lunch breaks: the Idols talk to Billboard.
For a group of people whose ages range from 18 to 29, the finalists were very poised this year, as if they had been doing interviews for decades. They spoke from the heart, sometimes revealing deeply personal issues, sometimes just talking about their musical heroes, how they listen to music and their favorite Idols of seasons past.
Their choices for favorite alums ranged from season 1 to season 23. The most nods went to inaugural winner Kelly Clarkson, favored by six finalists. Carrie Underwood and Jamal Roberts were each cited five times. Receiving four mentions were Fantasia and Phillip Phillips and with three each were Jennifer Hudson, Scotty McCreery, Slater Nalley and Ruben Studdard.
Billboard first observed the season 24 hopefuls in person in Hawaii in January, when there were 30 competitors still in the fight. Twenty survived the three episodes produced at Aulani, the Disney Resort and Spa on Oahu. That number went down to 14 after the first live show of the season.
The top 11 of season 24 were just minted minutes ago on Monday (April 6) night. Here are the first in-depth profiles of this group, supplemented by three finalists who were eliminated on tonight’s live broadcast.
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