For those of you who were wondering: Jason Castro did NOT forget his words on purpose Tuesday night. In fact, the idea that he was ready to go home didn’t really hit Jason until he was standing on the stage with Syesha Mercado. Although he was dreading having to learn 3 songs for the coming week, he was looking forward to a hometown trip. Jason insists he never threw in the towel–he always tried his best, he says. Also, he claims that he mouthed “Vote, vote” to the camera after Ryan gave his numbers–not “Don’t Vote” as some conspiracy theorists have claimed.
Here’s what Jason had to say to Jessica Shaw from Entertainment Weekly who quoted Jason admitting that he wanted to go home:
The fact of the matter that day was I was in a bad mood. I was frustrated with a lot of things. Then I got on the phone with you. I was just not in a good mood. I couldn’t find a quiet place to talk to you and I kept walking around. I couldn’t focus while we were talking. I don’t even remember much of what I said. There are some days that are just like that. You just don’t want to do what you are doing.
Next week, for his personal song choice, he was deciding between “Blue Eyes” by the Carey Brothers and “Green Eyes” by Coldplay.
Sources: USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, EOnline
Check out more highlights from his press interviews yesterday, after the jump…
- About having little screen time before the Top 24, “Oh yeah, I was a little, ’cause I would see how people were getting excited about other people. And I was like, “Uh oh.” Like (they were) already getting fans … and I knew why they weren’t airing my stuff [because] it didn’t clear so I was okay with it, but still it wasn’t fun.”
- About Simon’s comments last week that he wasn’t the Jason they brought on to the show, “I was feeling the same thing. I was just feeling me losing that power just because I couldn’t connect with the songs at the given time. I really had a hard time when we picked it up to two songs, like I wasn’t committed to either one and I just couldn’t connect with them. I couldn’t fall in love with them — you need time for that.”
- The most difficult aspect of being on American Idol, “It has everything to do with the song, either selecting the song or finding the time to rehearse it. That’s the biggest challenge. It’s all about the song, and if you try to make things original, as time goes on you get less and less time to do that. It really becomes harder. The day-to-day running of things is hard to do.”
- About forgetting his lyrics, “You know, that day I was just scattered. Right before I went on I was just sitting down and adjusting the microphone. I wasn’t even settled in when I started. I just forgot where I was. I couldn’t believe I forgot those words. Those words are so written on your heart. But I just laughed it off. I don’t ever take myself too seriously. I’m still just human. I do wish I hadn’t done that, but whatever. It happened for a reason. I think I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
- On Andrew Lloyd Webber, “He was really very kind, but we’re just different people. I don’t think he gets me. I saw a lot of passion in him, but he couldn’t pick up on my passion.”
- Did he want to go home last week? “I think there’s an interview last week that I had said I wanted to go home or something. I think this week everybody had the idea that I was ready to go, and that wasn’t my mindset at all going in. Every week has its ups and downs, and that morning when I had that interview I was kind of frustrated with a lot of things…There was a lot of stuff going on that morning, and I think that came across wrong. The way I was on the show, I guess people were thinking I didn’t want to be there, which was never my mindset.”
- Does it matter who wins? “I think it very much does matter who wins or at least how far you get. Every week you’re on gives you that much more of a chance, because you’re never guaranteed anything in this business. We’ve all been given this opportunity to have some exposure. Now people know who you are and will maybe take a second to listen. So I think it matters but we’ve all got an opportunity…”
- Songs that didn’t get cleared, “In the first two auditions I sang Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, but in the style of Ray LaMontagne, one of my favorite singer/songwriters ever. He just did a really cool version of it, so that’s what I did, but it never cleared. Another song I love to do is Santaria by Sublime. I tried to do that Hollywood week for my second day and they said it cleared, then they changed their minds. I don’t know how that all works. Then I tried again while we were out here but it never cleared.”
- Jason was a fan of Idol, “Yeah, I was a fan of the show. I forgot until last night when my brother was talking during my exit interview, but sophomore year of college we were living together and I remember the last semester we watched Idol every night every week. I had totally forgotten about that. We would come home and we’d be cooking and watching it. I loved what the show was and all the challenges. I thought it’d be fun, and it was fun and it was hard.”
- About feeling relieved at his elimination, “I’ve been telling people I was as happy last night as I was when I found out I made it to the Top 24. This whole time I’ve had a blast, and I’ve been trying, but it’s just been hard. That night I remember I was thinking, I just started to fear the week ahead. ‘How am I going to do three songs, I can’t even do two right.’ And you know, with the hometown visit it was going to be a lot of work, even though it would have been so much fun. I was just freaking out about it. That was all building up. I was ready to go either way. They gave me that, and it was just my natural reaction, I felt relief. The pressure was off. I loved my time on there and would have liked to go farther, but I don’t think I could have handled it.”
- Is he uncomfortable with being famous? “Yeah, we haven’t gone out too much. It’s kind of a weird thing. I don’t really get it yet. I’ve never been starstruck, so it kind of takes me off guard when people are so crazy. But, I mean, it’s cool, ’cause it means they like you, so it’s flattering.”
- Was he freaked out by the balloon gift from his fans? “Oh no, I wasn’t freaked out by that. That was nice.”
- About Paula critiquing his second performance when he hadn’t sung it yet, “It was kind of funny. I was just kind of confused by what was going on. “By the second song, did you mean David? What does that mean?” It was an honest mistake. I don’t think it affected my next performance.”
- Did he think he was going home this week? “I was split both ways. I really didn’t know what would happen. I felt that I was the one who deserved to go, because I felt that I had the weakest performances that night. At the same time I know I have some very loyal fans. I was really unsure either way.”
Related Posts
My 11 year old who loves David A was watching VH1 Top 20 countdown and said “mom, come here - is this Jason Castro? It was Jason Mraz and it was the first time I sat down to really listen to Mraz. Jason will be just fine - I cant wait for the doubters to see. Oh, sidenote - a few were talking about Daughtry not getting airplay now and he is on the VH1’s top 3 videos- and is played everyday here in Arizona.
I am hardly a conspiracy theorist and I love Jason but I just I still believe he said “don’t vote.” That’s what I saw and that’s what I felt he meant to say right at that moment. Maybe he didn’t really mean it, but perhaps it’s like the case of that which happened with Jessica Shaw:
I also thought his statement that he thought immediately right after it happened that it could have looked like he said “don’t vote” is puzzling to me. Why would he think that if he didn’t really say it or mean to say it? It struck me as a case of The boy doth protest too much. What I think might have happened is that he immediately regretted doing/having said it, which I can understand.
In the first half of this radio show podcast, this matter was discussed. Randy Jackson was asked about it, but he didn’t really give a clear answer.
Mojo in the Morning
I really wish I didn’t feel this way, but I just can’t shake the feeling. I’m not really mad at Jason, though. I think I understand it/him.
Ok…I just had had to let that out. I’ll breathe now. ;)
Ah, if only Jason had his crystal ball that night. He really had no way of knowing that he would be misinterpreted, and analyzed in High Definition slow mo over the next few days. I think Jason didn’t realize how seriously some of the tinfoil hat wearers take their conspiracy theorizing.
For me, I agree with what PJ said. For some of these people, selling three million records or popping up in the pages of US magazine are just not the goals. Some of them would just like the opportunity to do what they love and be able to make a living at it. Super-stardom and the inevitable relentless scrutiny of your personal life that goes along with it are just not everyone’s cup of tea.
Jason seems like a very nice person, with a wonderful sense of humor. The fact that he doesn’t take himself too seriously will serve him well in life.
Whats a tinfoil hat?
Just a little joke about conspiracy theorists. You see, you wear your tinfoil hat to protect you from government mind control.
Amazingly enough, instructions for the construction of your own tinfol beanie can be found here.
Maybe it went down like you think, Purps. We’ll never really know. He clearly said vote after his second song, and I guess it’s possible that your theory is right and he had a change of heart. Still, it looks like “vote, vote” to me, so I’m going to take his word for it. I spent a lot of time voting for him, and I’m not at all upset by anything he’s done.
Besides, it’s a moot point now, anyway. I’m over Jasongate and looking forward to the tour.
Sumidol, tinfoil hat article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_foil_hat
OHHH! ok thanks
It’s hard to make a “D” sound when your front upper teeth are on your lower lip (try it). And in the Zaprudered tape, that’s what you see. (And I have a strong sense of unreality in knowing that I know that…)
Since I don’t think Jason could have broken up the David Squared finale, and at this point, he probably would’ve been flayed alive if he had, I think it’s probably a great thing for him that he went out at fourth. He really comes across well in the interviews and I think he’s done a great job clearing up the numerous controversies he had going on.
I believe him when he says he said “vote, vote.” That’s what it looked like to me anyway, and he did say vote, by itself, once after MTM. One of his interviewers made some editorial comment about it being weird that he says in one breath he wanted to win and make the top 3 and not get sent home, and in the next breath that he was happy when he was kicked off, but I think it’s probably a really honest and well-rounded assessment of the situation, and one that I wonder if some of the other contestants don’t share. Jason says that if he was going to be there, he was going to be in it to win it, and he thinks the further you go, the better opportunities you get, but he also says he wasn’t having fun towards the end and he was feeling stressed out and insecure and didn’t know if he could do it. I wonder if at the beginning, they want to stay in it because they want to be there and have the whole experience, and towards the end, they want to stay in it to get the goshdarned contract and the process becomes just an obstacle?
Three people who lip read or know someone who lip read told me Jason said “vote vote”, and Jason said that’s what he said, and Jason is astonishingly honest, so I believe him.
I’ve been meaning to find out what a tinfoil hat is!
I also think it seems reasonable for him to have worried about people thinking he said “don’t vote,” and wanting to correct that, in light of the the EW article. He probably knew that there were already rumors about him not wanting to be there. When the article first came out, I thought that if he wanted to be there, he would probably have to do all the crazy “numbered-fingers” gestures or say something to debunk the rumors.
I’m enjoying this particular silver lining. It gives me more than my quota of Jason watch for the week. Yikes, I sound like a stalker!!