TV Guide Online: You've taken a lot of heat for your rendition of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."
Camile Velasco: Right, but that was one of those times I had lots of fun onstage. It's one of my favorite songs by Elton John, so I really like to perform it.

TVGO: Do you get why people were so critical of it?
Velasco: Kind of. I could have chosen a better song. Song choice was really important. But I really wanted to sing that song because that was my favorite song.

TVGO: Did you hear any reaction from Elton John after your performance?
Velasco: Not afterward. After we all sang [in the practice session] you saw in the clip package, he said he liked it and thought I sang it well. It was crazy just to meet him. He kissed my hand and I started crying! Tears started coming out, so I couldn't sing, so they had to skip me and come back to me.

TVGO: What do you think of Simon's suggestion that some of you kids take singing lessons?
Velasco: Definitely. I definitely agree with what Simon has to say. There's always room for improvement. I felt that I did my best, and I didn't agree with some of the things he would say about me. He would say I was nervous. And I wanted to tell him I'm not nervous, but I was too ashamed to say something back. But he is a professional who's been in the business longer than I've been breathing, so I respect him.

TVGO: When Matt Rogers was voted off, you started bawling as if you'd been voted off! Or were those just tears of relief?
Velasco: It's upsetting to be in the bottom three, but I didn't even think of myself at that moment at all. Matt Rogers was in Group 2 with me. He's just such an awesome personality that the house was so totally different without him. Matt's such an easy guy to love. He cheered us all up at times. It was hard to see him go.

TVGO: Have you learned anything from all this? What's next for you?
Velasco: Oh, totally! I feel like I've gained years of experience in two months' time. I'm so thankful that I decided to try out. Before American Idol, I'd been working on a 12-song album for two years. When I go back to Maui, I'll just try to finish it and move to L.A. and get it out there.