Ousted ‘American Idol’ Josh Gracin was on MTV’s Total Request Live on Monday to talk about being voted off the show with Damien and Amanda Bynes. Josh thinks Ruben will win, but that Clay has got the talent edge. Josh sang O-Town’s ‘All Or Nothing’ with a country twist at the end. Read on for a transcript.
Damien: Last week he got voted off “american idol,” but today we voted
him on. Please welcome josh gracin.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Damien: Hey! Nice to see you.
Damien: Take a seat.
Damien: All right. How are you feeling?
Josh: I’m feeling pretty good. Great to be here.
Damien: Congratulations on all you accomplished on “american idol.”
You stuck in there. But you did lose this past week on the show.
Josh: Yes. Yes.
Damien: A lot are saying maybe if you sang with less of that country
twist in your voice, maybe a more pop twist, you would have gone further.
Do you agree with that or not?
Josh: Yes or no situation. I sang the music that i love to do. I listen
to all sorts of music and i thought maybe if i combined pop music with
country music a little bit more it would open up a — you know, a new kind
of listening audience and that’s what I was trying to aim at. Because I
really like that new kind of style of country music that’s coming out.
Damien: So like a new niche kind of branded differently? That’s cool.
A lot of the time you spent on “american idol” is during a time when you
knew all your fellow brothers, because you were a marine at one point,
all your brothers were in iraq helping out with the cause over there. Was
it ever hard to rehearse and get into the mind set of going on television?
Josh: Well, I’m still on active duty, i have one more year left, it
was hard. It was definitely added some pressure to know that i had friends,
and, you know, fellow s overhere, kicking butt and taking names kind of
thing. But I knewhahat I could be on call 24 hours, so had all my stuff
was ready to go and ready to be packed. I had a plan for my family in case
I was called. I was ready to join them.
Damien: Did your buddies calling or writing to you at all?
Josh: I had a few writing saying they were proud of me, and a few wrote
to their husbands and how well I was do tong show and how I’m representing
the marine corps.
Damien: Who do you think is going to win? A lot of people are saying
rubin will win it.
Josh: Honestly deep down inside, i think rubin is going to win it. But
as far as voice, i think clay has a better voice. Personally, I think clay
will win. But i don’t think it will go that way.
Amanda: I like rubin, I want to hug him and i got to.
Josh: That’s a what a lot of people think. They — if they look past
that and really look at the voice and the talent the way it should be loed
at.
Amanda: But rube than as really good voice.
Josh: Correct. But I think clay is — he’s original and certainly he
holds his own. He has never messed up on the show yet.
Amanda: And has rubin?
Damien: What are you doing here? You’re fighting with the guests.
Amanda: No. I’m sorry.
Damien: You can debate further. But anyway, you have shown you can sing
just about anything. We want you to tackle this in times square. After
the next request, do you want to hang? Number eight lillex, “it’s about
time” safely up two spots today. Check it out.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Damien: A great video, “it’s about time.” Number ten on friday. That’s
right. We’re here with amanda bynes and mr. Josh gracen from “american
idol.” Now, on “american idol” you sang — a lot of country fans here.
Now we want to see you take a different route and see you tackle, ladies
and gentlemen, o town! Okay? Do you think you can do it?
Damien: Go for it.
Josh: I’m going to sing the song at my initial audition, “all or nothing.”
That’s a great one.
Because i want it all or nothing at all
there’s no one left to fall when you reach the bottom it’s now or never
is it all and all we just — or are we just friends
is this how it ends with a simple telephone call
you leave me here with nothing at all
Damien: Josh gracin, everybody. Give it up for him right there. [ Cheers
and applause ] Thank you for the song. Thank you for serving our countryhank
you for stopping by. We really appreciate it and we wish you the best.