Rudy Cardenas
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While Antonella Barba photos dominate the news, Entertainment Weekly recently caught up with the four American Idol contestants that are no longer making headlines.

That's because they were voted off the show last week. But let's listen to what Paul Kim, Rudy Cardenas, Amy Krebs and Nicole Tranquillo have to say about their experiences:

PAUL KIM:

So Paul, you've done more than your share of interviews today... Are you so over the bare feet thing?
Yeah, it has gotten a little old. It's turned into some type of gimmick, which it was never supposed to be. That's just me being me, and people think I was trying to get extra votes that way, and I wasn't at all! I've been doing it for, like, five years. But it was cool to see [Ryan Seacrest] do it, too.

Now that you've had a chance to sleep on it, do you regret choosing ''Careless Whisper''?
Yeah, I do. Honestly, it wasn't what I wanted to do. It was sixth on my list of songs. My first choice was Donnie Hathaway, ''I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know,'' but my top five songs didn't clear and so I had to go with option number 6. I wasn't really comfortable with it and on top of that, I got sick and had to lower the key half a step, which made it kind of boring. But I have no excuses. I just didn't sing as well as I should have, that's why I went home. I'm really mad at myself for that, but I did try.

What was ailing you?
I have bronchitis and a sinus infection and was actually quarantined at a different hotel because they didn't want me to get anybody else sick. I have no clue how I got it, must've been lack of sleep or stress. I only slept an hour last night.

You were very passionate about wanting to represent Asian singers on American Idol. Do you feel your mission was accomplished?
I'm not trying to get political or anything, it's just that we're stereotyped a certain way in the media — where people think all Asian guys wear glasses and are unathletic and really nerdy — that really bothered me. William Hung was shown over and over again, and at first I thought it was funny, but then it got to the point where it started getting embarrassing. That really irked me, and I was out to prove that that's not what we look like, it's not who we are as a whole. So I just wanted to bring something new to the table, and hopefully I did do that.

RUDY CARDENAS:

Do you feel like you were at a disadvantage being the first of 12 performers?
I didn't really think about that going in. I just wanted to grab America and be like, ''This is going to kick ass!'' Was it too much? Maybe, but I just wanted to give my all and sing from the heart. I did the best I could. Four people have to go, what are you going to do?

You're a musician, too. Was the group performance hard for you to handle?
It was a little cheesy for my taste, and it's funny that Randy used the word corny for my performance. But that's the thing I love about the show. Obviously, they're doing something right — American Idol is the biggest show to ever air on TV. It may be a little corny, but it's also so much fun!

Have you gotten calls from the people who turned down your band for gigs?
It's funny, my band had to get a sub and is on the road right now without me, and we actually have gotten those calls. Both saying, ''If Rudy's not going to be there, we don't want you anymore'' or ''Hey, I take back what I said, I do want to book you.'' So it goes both ways. But I feel super blessed to be in this position. it's just sad I had to leave a little early.

Amy Krebs: 

Your song choice, ''I Can't Make You Love Me,'' turned out to be prophetic, huh?
Yeah. I wish that Paula would've stuck up for me a little bit more because she has in the past. But to have all three judges sort of say the same thing was a huge eye-opener for me. As much as the criticism was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to take, it definitely made me take a look at something that I've always struggled with, which is trying to fit in somewhere and feeling comfortable in my own skin.

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Rudy Cardenas treated his audition for American Idol as a meet-and-greet, not a chance for a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Cardenas, 28, belongs to M-Pact, a jazz vocal group. Before tonight's show - when he'll compete with 11 other male finalists in Hollywood - he was hoping to spread the word about his group and maybe meet a few contacts.

"I never thought it would take me this far," Cardenas said in a phone interview.

But here he is, on the top-rated show, a finalist among the tens of thousands who auditioned and now hoping to survive the first round, when two guys will be voted off Thursday, along with two women.

It's a long way from the University of Northern Colorado, where Cardenas graduated in 2001 with a degree in vocal performance.

Cardenas believes in his singing, but it's hard to think about making it to Hollywood when there are 13,000 other hopefuls waiting to audition just in Seattle, especially when there's a good chance that not all of them are the ones that make you cringe or laugh. But as producers started to whittle down the thousands, and he became the last audition of the day, even earning a chat with host Ryan Seacrest, he began to believe.

"I really thought I might have a shot here," he said. "It's been a crazy roller coaster of a ride. I'm trying to soak it all in and take mental pictures."

Cardenas calls the experience "liberating," given that he normally sings with a jazz vocal group, a demanding job that requires harmonies and support even when he isn't singing lead. There's never a break.

"This is so much easier, to tell you the truth," he said. "You can really do your own thing now."

Cardenas already has made friends. Chris Sligh, the guy with a curly mop for hair and who looks a little like Jack Osbourne, was the first guy Cardenas met during the auditions, and he's in too. Another finalist, Brandon Rogers, went to college with Cardenas' wife.

M-Pact is touring with a sub for Cardenas and will appear April 19 at the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival, although Cardenas doesn't know if he'll make that date or not, given that the show could last longer if he does well.

"I've always wanted to come back to that stage," he said, "so I will definitely be there if I'm able to be there. It would be a great moment."

But so would being named the next American Idol.

Cardenas said he isn't ready to think about that yet. He hopes that before he prepares to sing before millions (not including the thousands in person) that he remembers to think about his wife, breathe and then tell himself, "It's just another performance." He wouldn't reveal what he'll sing, although he promises it will be "rocking."

"I think everyone's expecting a Latin vibe," he said. "I might throw them a curveball. What I'm hoping for is that it will just be me. I want to be sure I leave it all out there. If I do that, I'm happy with whatever the outcome is."

SOURCE: The Greeley Tribune

Rudy Cardenas is no stranger to the stage.

But he is a stranger to taking it by himself.

The American Idol finalist has been the lead singer for the band M-Pact, which won Billboard’s prestigious “Best Unsigned Band” contest and subsequently signed with indie specialty label Primarily A Capella.

Rudy graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a major in vocal performance. As seen on last night's American Idol auditions, he's been able to turn this talent into a trip to the show's final 24.At least.