Candice Glover’s hometown visit, like that of her fellow finalists Angie Miller and Kree Harrison, brought out both tears and inspiration. But in the end, she was stronger for it, as she explained to reporters after the show.
On having “a moment” despite the nerves…
Glover said the hometown visit got in the way of properly rehearsing her three songs from the week. “You come back and you're not prepared, so I thought that I was gonna mess up on all three songs.” But because she was able to dig into the words to “One” by U2, “Next to Me” by Emili Sande and the classic “Somewhere,” she had more than one moment. “I live in a place where music is not that big of a deal, so American Idol is a good way of getting out there -- somewhere where my music career can happen… like next week.”
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On the fatigue factor…
“I was extremely tired and I agree with what the judges said about me being sharp,” Glover explained. Another challenge: watching all that hometown footage of friends, family and fans. Said Glover: “I'm watching that, so I'm crying and the cameraman is trying to make funny faces in front of me, so I won’t cry. But seeing your hometown visit, it gives you the boost that you need. Still, my voice was tired.”
On Nicki Minaj getting emotional…
The tears were flowing at the judges table, too, where the usually unflappable Nicki Minaj was clearly moved. “I think Nicki knows better than anyone what it's like to come from nowhere and to have your career be so big,” said Glover, who was brought back to that place when visiting her small South Carolina island. “I remember driving down the same road that I used to just stand on, with my cousins and not have anything to do,” she recalled.
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On losing two rounds to her competitors…
“At first, it hurt my feelings,” Glover confided, adding that it also “amped” her up. “I was, like, I can either mope about not winning a round or I could go out there and show them why I made it to top 3 in the first place,” she said.
On Thursday’s results…
“I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow or at the finale because we're in a season where everyone is so good,” said Glover, echoing her competitors’ sentiments.
Twitter: @Idol_Worship
