The eight-place finisher also expresses his gratitude for being given the opportunity to explore himself and come out of his shell during his stay on the singing competition.
- Apr 6, 2012
AceShowbiz - DeAndre Brackensick tries to see the bright side of his elimination from "American Idol". Saying that his participation on the singing competition made him "take a leave of absence from school which kind of put me behind a little bit," he tells the press after the result show, "I'm just glad that I finally get to go to a prom that I'm going to actually enjoy."
Though he and his family had to make a sacrifice for him to be on the show, DeAndre has no regret because everything was worthy. "My family's in a rough spot with mortgage and stuff, and my mom had to come along with me so we had to jeopardize that," the eight-place finisher opens up before adding, "But in the end, it was worth it."
Explaining what he learned during his stay on the competition, DeAndre says it helped boost his confidence. " 'Idol' brought out me, and I'm so glad 'Idol' did bring out me. Every dance I've ever had I was either a ticket-taker or a coat-taker because I was just so uncomfortable with myself," the 17-year-old high schooler gushes.
DeAndre admits he's not entirely surprised by his elimination. "I kind of felt it a little bit," he shares. "My style, you either love it or hate it and, you know, R&B is so unappreciated right nowadays and I really want to bring it back, so I kind of had a feeling somewhat. Things happens for a reason and it's not the end. Just gotta keep fighting for it."
The teen also weighs in on Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler's decision to let him go, "I understand where the judges are coming from. I've already been saved once and you only get so many chances, so I wasn't ready for America right now. I agree with them 100 percent. I agree with the judges, I agree with Jimmy [Iovine] and what happened. I'm just grateful I got to this point."
Commenting on Jennifer Lopez's vote to save him from going home, the wild-card entry says, "It makes me feel loved. It was really nice." He additionally talks about his final performance, "I think it was one of my best performances this week, and that's why I'm glad that I did get cut on a great performance and not on something bad. I have no regrets at all."
