'American Idol' finalist Emily Piriz: I tried out for 4 reality singing competitions and 'Idol' is as good as it gets

American Idol ousted Emily Piriz during last week's live results show on Fox, determining the thirteenth season's Top 11 finalists.
 
Emily, an 18-year-old student from Orlando, FL, became the second finalist sent home from American Idol's thirteenth season after she received the fewest home viewer votes cast following the week's performance show, which featured the Top 12 finalists performing songs that best defined what the word "home" means to them -- whether it be their town, a family member or simply what it represents. 

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Emily's elimination became official after Idol judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban announced they weren't going to prevent her departure by using their one "The Judges' Save" of the season. Emily had been in the bottom three with M.K. Nobilette and Jena Irene.

During a Friday conference call with reporters, Emily talked to Reality TV World about whether she regrets her song choice and how she feels about the apparent wipeout of female contestants so far. To read what she had to say, click here. Below is the concluding portion of Emily's interview. Click here for more.

Every year, we watch Hollywood Week and see the drama and the stress that everybody goes through.  Is it as difficult and tough as they make it out to be on the show?

Emily Piriz: Oh yes.  It's even worse.  It's hard, it's really hard work.  Hollywood Week, group night especially, we really do work on two and three hours of sleep.  It was probably the hardest week I've ever been through in my life. 


But I was lucky enough to have a great group -- they didn't show it onscreen -- but each one of my group members was amazing and they all pulled their own weight. We all contributed.  So I was lucky enough to be in a great group, but I saw the drama in other groups unravel and it wasn't really pretty.

American Idol is in its thirteenth season now.  Looking back on all these years, do you have a favorite contestant who has been on the show?

Emily Piriz: Well, for sure, my favorite contestant is Kelly Clarkson, that's for sure.  But I also really like Haley Reinhart, she was one of my favorite girls, besides Kelly Clarkson, ever on the show.  I think she's so unique and she was just so great.

Was it hard to sing "Let's Get Loud" and be all cheery and hyper onstage after seeing your boyfriend Matt's video since he's away serving in the military?  Because it looked like you were getting a little choked up.  I'm wondering if that might have tripped you up a little bit.

Emily Piriz: Yes, it was kind of hard afterward because, you know, I hadn't seen his face -- not even through video chat or anything -- in over two months, so it was hard to see him because I miss him.  But I just kind of tried to suck it up a little bit and use that emotion into my performance.  But, yes, it was a little difficult. 


How tough was it to sit through what looked like that big group-therapy session in the beginning of the results show?  It felt like group therapy, like everybody was piling on Harry and Randy Jackson was trying to comfort all of you.

Emily Piriz: Oh, yes.  I mean, I was just kind of taking it in, listening to what Harry said.  I mean, he's a great speaker and it was true what he was saying that everything he said was for a reason -- that we wouldn't be here if we weren't great singers and we don't need somebody telling us we're great all the time. 

We need somebody telling us the things we need to fix.  So yes, I always like hearing what he has to say because he's such a great musician and he knows so much and he has so much knowledge and he can just give that to us and help us out.

I was wondering how your dad's doing?  He looked so sad during your sing-out. 

Emily Piriz: He's okay.  I mean, he's sad.  My parents are both sad, but they're happy for me that I've made it this far.


I know you had a short stint with The X Factor back in 2012.  How was that experience different from American Idol?

Emily Piriz: I've auditioned for The X Factor, America's Got Talent, The Voice, Idol -- and I don't know, Idol's, I guess, a little different.  I didn't make it too far in The X Factor, so I didn't get too much of a taste of what everything was like. 

But Idol, to me, is as good as it gets.  It's the best, it's the original, and everyone is a huge family.  It's been on for 13 seasons, you know, and it's almost all the same crew members and staff people.  Everyone's so close and they treat us like family, they really do.  So it's amazing.

With that in mind, what was your favorite moment of this season and competing on the show?

Emily Piriz: My favorite moment?  Probably doing the red carpet.  That was amazing.  That was my first-ever red carpet and I'd never done anything like that, just the interviews and the pictures.  I think that was a really cool moment and something that not a lot of people get to experience at all.


I wanted to ask about the final sing-for-survival song.  How hard was it to perform that and how do you think you did?

Emily Piriz: It was kind of difficult to perform because I kind of had in my mind that I didn't think they were going to use a 'save' just because it's so early on in the season.  I just didn't think that would happen.  So I was already starting to get emotional, but I just wanted to leave that stage with one of my best possible performances. 

So I was just trying to leave it on the stage.  I don't think it was my best performance of that song by any means.  It was a little shaky in some areas, but I couldn't help it.  It was an emotional time.

You've mentioned a couple of your musical inspirations such as Kelly Clarkson.  Given the chance, are there any other singers that you'd just love to work with?

Emily Piriz: I'd love to work with Grace Potter.  She is amazing, she's incredible.  Alicia Keys -- I mean, so many, so many.  I love music, and to able to collaborate with any artist of this time, it would be an honor.


Do you have any pre-performance rituals that you do or something that kind of psyches you up for a performance?

Emily Piriz: I have a little prayer that before my first-ever audition, my aunt, she wrote it for me on a little sticky note, and she wrote a little note for me and I read it before I auditioned.  So I read it before every single performance.

What advice would you give to singers just starting out who are thinking about auditioning?  What would you tell them? 

Emily Piriz: I would tell them to go for it; Don't take no for an answer.  I tried out for Idol twice; tried out for The X Factor, I believe, three times; The Voice three or four times; America's Got Talent three or four times.  You know, I was said "no" to a lot and I never gave up.  And look at me now.

It's going to be hard at first, but you just have to keep practicing and keep, keep going.  I mean, it took me, when I was 13 is when I started auditioning for shows, and I'm 18 now, so it takes a while, but you can get there.  You just have to believe in yourself.

With that in mind, would you audition again in the future for American Idol?


Emily Piriz: I'm not sure.  It all depends on what comes out of this year.  If something comes out of this and people know my name, I want to give other people that don't have that, what I have already, that opportunity to be on the show. 

So if great things come out of this, I don't know if I'll audition again, just because it's a show to get your name out there.  If my name's already out there, I want to give that opportunity to somebody else.

Emily, any final remarks?

Emily Piriz: I just want to tell all of you guys thank you so much for interviewing me.  I want to tell my fans that I love them and I really care about them and thank you so much.  They need to keep following me, following me on Twitter, on Instagram at realemilypiriz.  And just keep watching because this isn't the end of me and I'm going to keep working hard and to follow my dreams.

To read what Emily had to tell Reality TV World during a Friday conference call with reporters, click here. Above is the concluding portion of Emily's interview. Click here for more.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski