American Idol viewers were surprised to see New Orleans native Burnell Taylor sent home last night. Even mentor Jimmy Iovine predicted that he would be the last guy standing, saying at the start of the elimination show that Lazaro Arbos should be voted off. Taylor, though, says he “had a feeling it was going to be me this week. I was prepared — it’s always a possibility.”
Still, he’s proud of himself for his performance of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” on Wednesday night. “I can’t believe I performed a rock song on live television,” he says with a laugh. “If somebody would’ve told me I was going to do that, I never would’ve believed them.” He adds that he “learned to roll with the punches” during the competition.
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Of his save song, the singer says that it wasn’t about him being saved by the judges. Instead, he wanted to leave his mark. He certainly did that, ending the song by kissing fellow contestant Amber Holcomb on the cheek. Of his relationship with the singing beauty, he says, “We’re still learning about each other. We’re not moving too fast. We’re both young, but we really like each other.”
Taylor also had a big effect on judge Mariah Carey and contestant Candice Glover, who were both in tears over his departure. “I never knew how much they cared about me. To see that they were so genuine really touched me. I broke down too.” As for Carey’s advice, Taylor says, “She told me that this wasn’t the end, that I should run with it. And that’s what I’m going to do. I feel like it’s about what you do after the show.”
So what does the crooner want to do now? “I want to be a storyteller and get as personal as I can with my album. I want to be honest. That’s what I feel is missing from the industry.” When asked about comparisons to John Legend, he shares that the Grammy winner is definitely of his inspirations. “As far as my music, though, I want to be as original as I can and do something that nobody’s ever done before.”
He graciously thanks his fans — who he calls family — for their support and adds, “We shall meet again — and it’s won’t be too long.”
You can follow Taylor on Twitter. Be sure to check him out on the American Idol summer tour too!
