A conversation with Jena Irene, one of “Idol’s” Top Eight
Seventeen-year-old Jena Irene is living her “American Idol” dream, but a little bit homesick for her friends and two dogs.
Irene says she is trying to keep up on all the “drama” back home through calls and texts with friends, but it’s hard with her full days of rehearsals, school work and extra “idol” surprises.
“The most important thing I want everyone at home to know is how grateful I am for their support,” she said. “I could not do this without the positive reinforcement I receive every day. For your school and your city to say they are proud of you, well it’s the best.”
Irene’s school and Hercules Coney Island, where she worked as a waitress for three years, are celebrating her success in the competition. Students packed the school last week for an “idol” viewing party. The restaurant on 12 Mile Road in Farmington Hills received a video camera from an “Idol” producer with a request to show Americans where Irene served Coney dogs.
The Adamopoulos family owns Hercules Coney Island, and has known Jena since she was a toddler. Francesco Adamopoulos praised Jena’s waitressing skills, and brags about her singing voice to his customers.
“It is so exciting to see Jena achieving her life long dream,” Adamopoulos said, adding he’s always known she was incredibly talented. “A producer at ‘American Idol’ called and asked us to send Jena a message, so we asked her best friend, Nikki Wald, to invite her friends here so we could send a video message.”
A standing-room-only crowd of 100 people gathered on a Sunday afternoon at the restaurant to cheer and record personal messages of support for their superstar.
Irene also says it’s difficult missing eliminated ‘Idol’ friends she saw at least five days a week. She and 16-year-old Malaya Watson of Southfield are the only remaining contestants who attend school daily.
“The lectures by the teachers out here are so different, and I miss not having friends as part of the school day,” Irene said. “But everyone here has the same interests in music and performing, so it’s fun hanging out, spending time together jamming and just talking with my new friends. We are all very close, and it is hard when someone leaves.”
The last two contestants to leave the show were MK Nobilette and Emily Piriz.
“MK’s room was right across the hall, so we got to know each other, and Emily and I are staying in touch,” Irene said. “She misses everything about the show, and I text her about what is happening.”
Last week on “American Idol,” Irene performed “Clarity,” an electronic rock song. Judge Harry Connick Jr. remarked that the electronic genre could be her niche. Irene says she enjoys many types of rock music, but believes her sound may be merging into electronic rock.
“It’s something new, and I want to be the next big thing, something different,” she said. “I love the energy of electronic, the feel — and I want to go with it. I am still growing and changing and learning who I am as a performer. “American Idol” is chapter one of my career and I am very excited to see where it leads.”
She promises to perform again with her piano, but refuses to look forward to the end of the competition in eight weeks. Irene says she is taking her performances just one week at a time.
And if she makes it to the final five, she says, she may allow herself to think, “I could win this competition.”
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