"I honestly didn't feel like I would get that far on the show. I thought, I'm not as conventional as American Idol usually likes. I just didn't expect the judges and the audience to be as supportive as they were. Week after week, when I got through, I said, 'Wow, this is, like, working out!' I didn't think I'd get to the end."
On coming out
''I'm very comfortable with my sexuality, and very, very open about it, and have always been out, since I was out of high school. Then, when those pictures came out right before [the] Idol [top 36] started, and I was faced with the media asking me about them, I was like, What am I going to do, deny that they're me? But what I didn't want was to put a label on myself, because I think there may have been people in our country who might not have looked past that."
"I think by not putting a label on myself, maybe it was helpful in letting people see past all that, past putting me in a box based on my sexuality. And then after the show ended, and after the competition was over, and I had made my mark, so to speak, I felt like then it was appropriate to talk about my personal life."
On the fallout from the American Music Awards
"The thing I was disappointed about is that it did start to take the focus away from the music. Hindsight is 20/20. Hindsight is our best teacher, in my opinion. I was in the moment, I was just expressing a song, I was just having a good time. Then I heard the backlash, and I realized, okay, all right, I pushed a little too hard this time around. Maybe it wasn't the right second first impression. I can stand by that. But I don't really feel like I have to make an apology, because I don't feel like there was any wrong done. Maybe it's not just the most broadly appealing performance style. Let's put it that way."
On an upcoming tour
"I think it's probably going to be springtime. I've started talking to management about putting something together. I think it's not going to be a standard arena tour. I think we're going to do something a little different. My big goal is I want to create a show. I want to do something that's very visually dynamic, and is a little more interactive feeling than your typical arena tour. So we're looking at venues that are probably going to be a little smaller and a little more intimate."
What he wears when he's hanging out at home
"A full sequined jumpsuit! [Laughs] Obviously, there are all these photo shoots and appearances where I get all done up. I love dressing up, putting on eye makeup and over-the-top clothing. But when no one's looking, when I'm just kicking it with friends or family or by myself, I'm, like, [in] sweatpants, t-shirt, no eye makeup — except maybe what was on the night before."
On his favorite entertainers of the year
"Yeah, probably Lady Gaga. She just inspires me with her creativity and her out-of-the-box thinking. She's not afraid to take risks and to be different. She dances. She's visually interesting; she's got costumes. And she's a great musician."
On his favorite TV show of the year
"I haven't been up on my media all that much. I watched True Blood, that's probably my favorite show. I just love the tone of it. I really like what they're saying. In many ways, they're talking about our current civil rights issues, but under the guise of they're vampires. It's really sexy. The actors are fantastic. The storylines are captivating. I just love that show."
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