Lauren Alaina: 'I'm not really a blonde'

Lauren Alaina: 'I'm not really a blonde'

Two days after vocal problems threatened her final performances on American Idol, Lauren Alaina still sounds hoarse and scratchy. "I think I'm getting a little bit of a cold," the 16-year-old Idol runner-up said as she fielded questions from reporters during a conference call Thursday.

Even so, she talked about winner Scotty McCreery ("I couldn't have picked a better person to get second place to"), role model Carrie Underwood ("That would be the greatest thing in the world, for a little girl to look up to me like I look up to her") and how people perceive her.

"People call me a dumb blonde," she says, "but I'm not."

An edited transcript of the conference call follows.

How difficult was giving such great performances given what was going on with your voice?

The show must go on, always. The doctor came in and he took really good care of me. He got my voice to as good as he could. I just had to go out there and do the best that I could.

Why do you love country music so much?

I was raised on country music. My parents love country music. It's in my heart.

Why did you choose not to use your last name on Idol?

I chose not to use Suddeth because people never pronounce it right. I knew Ryan Seacrest would have a terrible time trying to say my last name. So I just went with Alaina, because it rolls off the tongue easier. But I will always be Lauren Suddeth. Always.

How would you describe your relationship with Scotty? Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?

No, we're not. We're just friends.

What was your final weight loss by the end of the show?

I think it was 16 pounds in all, maybe.

Are you going to continue to keep it up? We know you love running.

Of course I am. I haven't been able to work out in a couple weeks, because I've been super-busy getting ready for the finale. During tour, I'm going to work out and get to the point where I want to be. Not where everyone else wants me to be, but where I want to be.

As good as you are, you're only 16. Did the thought cross your mind that you wish you had waited a few years to do this?

No. I feel like people misjudge young people because they think they're not ready. But I feel like if something your dream and you know what you want, you should go for it.

Have you ever gone, as a fan, to the CMA Music Festival?

I have not been able to make it up to the CMA festival, but I do believe I'll be there this year. Oh my gosh, it's going to be amazing.

It seems like this contest was a growth process for you. What do you feel you learned about yourself from taking part in Idol?

I had a lot of confidence before the show. Seeing myself on TV and being my worst critic, it threw me back a couple of notches. I feel like that was a good thing. I needed to realize there's always something you can work on about yourself. The things I didn't like about myself, I worked on the whole time I was on the show and really tried to improve myself. Since there were so many people watching, and I could see the outcomes, it was really helpful for me to grow as a person and as an artist.

Was there a key, something that turned the corner for you?

Each week, I wanted something new. I put it all together and tried to make the best of it.

What do you want people to know about you from the things we did not learn about you on American Idol?

I'm not really a blonde. People call me a dumb blonde, but I'm not. I'm actually really smart. I love to go to school. My favorite subject is math. I like going to school more than anything, probably.

Have you had any problems with your voice before?

I have, actually. Everyone has trouble with their voice sometimes. I think I'm getting a little bit of a cold. Now my nose is a little stopped up, and my throat is hurting. But it's alright.

What was Scotty whispering to you on Tuesday at the end of the night?

He told me I was going to win, and I said, "No, Scotty, you're going to win."

What was going through your head when Ryan said, "Dim the lights" on Wednesday?

I felt like it was going to be Scotty. Things happen for a reason, and God has a different plan for me.

Being in the Top Two is such a great accomplishment. Did being so close to the end make it more difficult to hear the results?

Not really. There are hundreds of thousands of people out there who would love to be second place on American Idol. I'm very fortunate to have made it to the point that I did.

Did you get to meet or talk with any of the celebrities on the show last night?

I met them all. Just being able to sing with Carrie Underwood set off the whole night. She's amazing.

Did you pick Before He Cheats?

No, I think Carrie picked it.

You hugged Scotty twice last night. Were you happy for him?

I will be happy for Scotty forever. We're great friends. I've been saying all along that, no matter what happened, if it came down to me and Scotty, I'd be happy either way, because we're such great friends. I truly mean that. He's so talented. He's got the look. He sings the same kind of music that I sings. And he loves Jesus. I couldn't have picked a better person to get second place to.

Once you stepped in front of the camera, you inadvertently became a role model, and you're a great one. Who are a few of your role models?

I'm a huge country music fan. There are so many girls I look up to, especially Carrie Underwood. Everyone knows. I've shouted that one out for a while now. Talking with her, I could tell she genuinely cared that I was there.

After we went to a party last night for all the contestants on the show, she invited me back to her area and let me sit with her and talk with her. It was amazing to see that someone I had looked up to for so long was actually the person I thought she was. I want little girls and girls my age to feel that way about me when they meet me, to know that I'm actually the way I'm portrayed on TV.

I'm not fake, and I don't want to mislead people as to who I am. I pull jokes a lot, but I can be serious, too. I cry a lot, and everyone knows that. It's just who I am.

I plan on not changing who I am for anything. I just want to stay true to who I am and have my little country roots. Let it be available for little girls to look up to me. I've always looked up to Carrie. That would be the greatest thing in the world, for a little girl to look up to me like I look up to her.

See photos of: Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina

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