He was cute. He dressed in black, with his shirt untucked. He stood about 5-11, better built than you'd think. He was soft-spoken and polite. He had several strands of cool beads and leather string around his neck. And he posed with anyone who wanted to take his photo. And he was the nicest guy attending the Reality TV Awards in Hollywood. And he had great, shiny, bouncy, very clean-looking hair. And he was, of course, Sanjaya Malakar, the shimmery, smiley, questionably talented boy toy who dazzled and charmed but didn't win last season's American Idol.
What are you up to?
I’m working on basically getting everything together.
What does that mean?
I’m working on an album and hoping it will come out next year.
That's great. We've been waiting so long.
Thank you.
What's the Sanjaya album going to sound like? Describe the Sanjaya sound.
It’s hard to describe. I haven’t been able to find a way to articulate the sounds. It’s very different. I want to bridge gaps and fill in places that don’t have my particular sound.
Even though you can't describe it, you can sing it, right?
Yes.
Without being pitchy?
I hope.
Or bitchy?
Never.
So what's life like for Sanjaya since Idol?
My life has been crazy. Everything has been happening fast.
What's the latest?
I’m moving to LA in November. I'm going to start the album after I move.
What reality TV shows do you watch?
I don’t want TV as much as I probably should since I am on TV. But when I do, I catch clips of different shows I do. I really like America’s Next Top Model.
Did you have favorite shows when you were growing up?
As a kid, I didn’t want much TV. My mom wasn't really into it.
What about movies?
I love movies. Disney movies.
What's Sanjaya's movie playlist?
The Fox and the Hound
Aladdin
The Little Mermaid
Beauty and the Beast
Cinderella
Have you seen anything out recently?
I saw The Simpsons Movie. But I fell asleep because I hadn’t slept for a like a week.
Your hair looks great.
Thank you.
What brand of shampoo do you use?
Shampoo? Whatever I have in my shower.
