Joey Cook took her final bow on the 'American Idol" stage as Twitter fans chose to save Rayvon Owen for a third consecutive week.
Cook gave two impressive performances, but Owen collected 52 percent of the Twitter vote, keeping him alive for another week.
"It's overwhelming and I'm so thankful," Owen told Headlines & Global News exclusively. "I feel really blessed people are still pushing for me at the last minute, of course I don't want to be in the bottom, but in that moment they see something in me and America sees my potential."
Cook praised Owen performance and says "he brought it" when performed live on Wednesday night compared to his dress rehearsals. Even after her loss, the 24-year-old singer remained upbeat and optimistic about her future while speaking with Headlines & Global News.
Headlines & Global News: Despite leaving you seem surprisingly upbeat?
Joey Cook: I'm so happy. Seriously, I'm stoked on life. I'm free, 100 percent.
HNGN: 'American Idol' did some great things for you then?
JC: Oh I got amazing exposure, I learned so much while I was here. I've never had so many of these things before, I've never had a vocal coach, never had someone to tell me what to do with my hands when I sing. I learned more about music in the last two months than I have in my entire life. Now I get to take all that information and get to apply it to the real world that exists outside of the 'Idol' studio.
HNGN: And you made some amazing friendships?
JC: I didn't know one of the hardest things about this would be the people that work here that I love. Like the security woman I see in the morning named Dominique, who is amazing and I love her so much. But I am excited to come back for the finale and get to see everybody. I will miss everyone that works on the show as I love it.
HNGN: Would you like your fans to give their votes to Quentin after he called you being in the bottom two, "whack?"
JC: I would like the fans to vote for whoever's performance they liked that week. I think that's fair. A lot of people have done a lot of amazing performances on the show and that doesn't matter now. It's a week-by-week thing and you have to bring your A-game every week. So fans should analyze each performance and vote on who did the best that night.
HNGN: How did you feel about Owen making it through elimination for the third week in a row?
JC: I keep telling him that he's going to keep saying he's going to be in the bottom, he's going to keep getting saved and accidentally win the show!
HNGN: If you fell into the bottom for three weeks straight, would you be as optimistic going forward in the completion as Owen?
JC: It's actually motivating, he knows that he's the underdog right now and the people don't expect him to be here and he has a point to prove now - he's on fire.
HNGN: What's the first thing you're going to do when you get home?
JC: I get to go back and see my family because I don't live in Virginia, I live in New Orleans. I've been gone for a while and now I get to give them some love because I miss them so much. And give my grandpa a hug, that'll be awesome.
HNGN: And planning a wedding?
JC: Yes, planning a wedding and see my cat, who's pregnant. I'm kind of happy about that because of the circle of life thing but people, research the vets you take your pets to for certain procedures. That's all I'm saying.
HNGN: For you career, what's next?
JC: The world is massive right now and we are in this confined space for so long that I have no idea what's in the works around me. It's going to be amazing to hear what it is. I'm not very well versed in the big music label business and don't really understand what they could do for me. It's going to be great to actually be myself in spite of this and continue this career in a way that I want to do it. It's just so exciting.
I want a KXP Session, that's my number one goal and I've wanted one from the first time I saw one. My lifelong goals were I wanted a KXP session and an MPR Tiny Desk Concert. Those goals seemed kind of reachable. And I get to meet Kelly Ripa, America's sweetheart, when I go to New York!
