Allison Iraheta Says She Loves To ‘Sing Angry’

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‘American Idol’ alum is making sure even her pop songs on Just Like You have a rock edge.
By Eric Ditzian

Allison Iraheta

Photo: Michael Becker/ Getty Images

The 2009 American Idols Live! Tour wrapped up in New Hampshire in mid-September. Right after that last show, fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta hopped on a plane bound for Sweden and some time in the recording studio with hitmaker Max Martin.

One of the results was her debut single, “Friday I’ll Be Over U,” an undeniably poppy tune, but one that didn’t exactly conform to the hard-edged rocker image Iraheta displayed during the “Idol” season. While she’s proud of that track, the 17-year-old made clear in an interview with Yahoo Music that her musical style is driven not by sugary beats but by rage.

“For some reason, I love singing angry,” she said. “Not depressing songs, but just real. There’s happiness in the world, but I’m just not the kind of person that’s going to sing happy. I like singing angry. It brings out the best in me, in my vocals.”

Another Martin tune — Just Like You’s title track — allowed Iraheta the opportunity to put her creative anger on display. It’s also the song that might most remind people of another “Idol” vet, Kelly Clarkson. “People definitely compare me a lot to Kelly and they might on that song, but we definitely bring different things to what we do,” Iraheta said.

The rest of the album (due in stores December 1), Iraheta explained, showcases rock, rock ballads and electronica, plus some more straight-forward pop.

“People are like, ‘Dude, that’s really poppy. We really expected you to do harder stuff,’ ” she said. “You definitely gotta take a listen to the whole album, because there’s a variety of things in there. It’s a poppy song, but there’s definitely a rock edge in there. That’s why I loved it the first time I heard it. And even if you like it or not, it says in your head. That’s what makes it a good song!”

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