Nick Fradiani

I've been grinding at music for over a decade now. Since I was 18, I decided that this is what I wanted to do. It's not an easy thing. When you start getting 25, 26, people are like, 'Oh you're a musician huh? That's what you're gonna do? When are you going to get a real job?' I never gave up.

There will never be another 'American Idol,' which produced so many credible superstars over the years. It was a phenomenon in pop culture. It changed music.

The one thing I'm really the most confident in as an artist is my songwriting ability and ear for pop music. I'm really excited to show that off. It was a side that I wasn't able to show on 'American Idol.'

I have my master's degree in secondary education. I actually interned at a high school and student-taught at a high school for a year.

I've been a legitimate fan of Keith Urban's for a long time and have been to a bunch of his concerts.

American Idols that come off the show and don't have a hit song - that makes it tough. If you come off the show and the song isn't big, and it takes a couple months to get your single out there - that time could be damaging.