Dalton Rapattoni may have finished third on season 15 of
American Idol
-- the results of which were announced on Wednesday night -- but he
already has good news for his fans: a new album is in the works.
"Work
starts Sunday on that," he told reporters an hour after his
elimination. "I am driving off to Austin. My buddy Matt Novensky from
Blue October will be working with me so that will be out in a few months.
Asked
if his music will be in the vein of his coronation song, "Strike a
Match," Rapattoni said he has a specific sound in mind: "alternative
pop." Said the 20-year-old: "It’s funny, they pegged me on the show as a
rocker. I don’t really play too much rock music. I really dig stuff
like
The 1975. It’s probably a tiny bit like that, my future music."
He
did enjoy recording the single, he added. "It was fun. We were with the
best producers and in the best studios in LA, so it was fun and pretty
freaking dope if you ask me!"
With the
Idol tour being
canceled this summer, Rapattoni said that he will find other ways to
keep the momentum going after Thursday night's finale. "The world kind
of lives on social media, right?," he said. "One of the biggest
strengths that I had going into the competition... I had good,
well-rounded social media, so I will continue to use that to spread the
word."
During his run on the show, Rapattoni also showed an
affinity for show tunes, auditioning with "The Phantom of the Opera" and
covering "Hopelessly Devoted to You" from
Grease. Billboard
wanted to know: would he consider a run on Broadway? "I could do that.
Broadway would be fun," he said. "Constantine Maroulis, he was the big
Broadway guy. That worked for him. So, yeah that would be awesome."
Rapattoni said he and mentor Sia shared a common bond: both are
bi-polar. "When we talked about music and stuff we looked at it through a
very similar lens," he said. "I liked being able to relate with someone
that is the same as me."
Although he didn't win, Rapattoni noted
that he is happy for La'Porsha Renae and Trent Harmon, the last two
standing in the competition. "That is the thing that people often forget
on this show: we basically live together so their success is my
success," he said. "Trent is my upstairs roommate so I go up to his room
every night and will tonight. We will just hang out. I am so stoked
that he has a 50-50 shot at being the next American Idol. That is so
sick."
As for his place in television history being a part of the last ever top 10 on
Idol?
"That is pretty freaking dope if you ask me," he said. "I am just so
honored to be part of something this big. I am really glad they didn’t
let
Idol just sputter out and die like some shows did. They definitely ended it on a high note and I am glad to be a part of that. "