By Jenna Bagcal
Conceptual, artistic, bold, and distinctive are all words that describe 21-year old Quentin Alexander. The New Orleans, Louisiana native was a contestant on season 14 of American Idol and made a name for himself during his time on the reality TV show. He blew audiences away with his performances each week, combining his emotion-filled vocals with stunning effects and clothing. The performer is self-assured in who he is, saying, “The type of artist I want to be is one that touches on all of the senses. A concert of mine would be something that would be just as appealing visually as it is musically.” In this celebrity interview, Alexander opens up about his experience on the show and his plans for the upcoming year.
American Idol Contestant Shares How New Orleans Shaped Him As An Artist
New Orleans is known as a cultural and musical epicenter of America and is a place that Alexander is lucky enough to call home. He cites his hometown as a major contributor to his artistry and personality overall. “Growing up there really played the biggest part in the way that I present my art and the way that I am,” he shares. “There are so many different musical and cultural influences, so many different ways of life all in one small bowl. It’s like a Gumbo pot, just a mixture of everything.” He adds that being from such a culturally-diverse city gives him a unique outlook and advantage in terms of his music and avant-garde fashion sense.
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In terms of relationships and love, Alexander reveals that having a partner who isn’t in the music industry makes for the best support system. “It’s always great to have that teammate supporting you from the outside, someone who isn’t really in the same kind of boat that you’re in,” he divulges. He also believes that the most important factor in a successful partnership is communication. “For anything to work, the best thing to do is to communicate and let each other know what’s going on,” he says.
Reality TV Star Discusses His Experience on the Show
Although he was eliminated from the reality TV show, Alexander has taken away many valuable experiences and pieces of advice from his time on American Idol. The most valuable tip came from Jennifer Lopez, who told him to “hold on to your art — it’s the one thing that makes you you.” He adds, “It’s the truth. The one thing that separates me from everyone else is my art, my personal feelings, and how I go about doing things.” The singer says that the superstar’s comment assured him of his role in the competition and validated that he was going in the right artistic direction when he was questioning his choices. “Should I compromise my performances just to fit in this mold?,” he asks. “She confirmed for me that I shouldn’t. Just be yourself, and everything will work out like it’s supposed to.”
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Now that his journey on American Idol is over, Alexander is excited to get home to New Orleans and attend the various festivals and events. “It’s the greatest time of year in New Orleans to have all the music come in and all the people coming in from different parts of the world,” he says.
In the future, aside from pursuing music, the performer plans on releasing some of his short films that include original music and fashion that he has designed. He also hopes to design an original clothing line within the next year. We can’t wait to see what he does next!
Catch up with Quentin on Twitter @QAlexanderXIV! American Idol is on FOX at 8/7c every Wednesday.
