‘American Idol’s Haven Madison Talks ‘Dark’ New EP, Finale Duet with Katy Perry
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 4 minutes
Haven Madison auditioned for Season 21 of American Idol with an original song, and now she’s further demonstrating her talent for songwriting with a new EP titled Turn Off All the Lights. The 18-year-old singer recently spoke to Talent Recap about the project, as well as her incredible Idol journey.
Haven Madison Reflects on Her American Idol Journey
Haven reached the Top 8 on American Idol Season 21 last year, after auditioning for the show with her original song “Fifteen.” The singer told Talent Recap that she looks back fondly at her experience on the show, adding that she “made so many good friends.”
“We still text all the time, the Top 26,” Haven shared. “The minors and I still hang out. They come to visit me, and I go to visit them. I saw Wé [Ani] in New York City, and she preached into me, just kind of about the things I was going through in my life.”
She revealed that competing on the show is “a very different experience” for younger contestants. Haven, who was 16 when she auditioned, explained that the minors were often separated from the adult singers. However, she said she never felt more pressure in the competition just because she was younger than other contestants.
Haven also shared her advice for the show’s new contestants, revealing that American Idol is supportive of original music. She advised hopefuls to have “an idea of what your artistry is and just lean into that.” Haven added, “Take advantage of the fact that they want to see you as an artist, and not as a singer.”
SEE ALSO: ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ ALUM HAVEN MADISON RELEASES ‘SKY UP’ ANIMATION VIDEO
Haven Recalls Finale Duet with Katy Perry
Haven said she “flipped out” when she learned she would be performing a duet with judge Katy Perry for the Season 21 finale. The pair performed a mashup of their songs “By the Grace of God” and “Still Need You.”
Because Perry was busy with her Las Vegas residency at the time, Haven didn’t have as many rehearsals with her as other contestants did with their duet partners. She only got to rehearse with Perry once on the day of the performance.
“She came in, we sang it through maybe three times. I don’t think we ever sang it through completely right,” Haven recalled. “And then she was like, ‘Cool, I’ll see you on stage.’ I got ready, and it was time to film, and we walked out. We were ready to go live, and we nailed it.”
Haven described their performance as “so raw,” since they performed in jeans with bare feet. She shared that the show’s hair team wanted to do “all these fancy things,” but Haven suggested that they leave their hair down. She called it “such a great experience,” calling Perry “a huge role model to me.”
Haven Describes Her New EP as ‘Vulnerable, Dark’
Haven released her debut single “Sky Up” in January of this year, and she followed that up with the track “Monster” in March. Now her five-song EP Turn Off All the Lights is available for fans to enjoy in its entirety.
When asked what three words she would use to describe the project, Haven said it was “vulnerable, dark, and empowering.” The title of the EP comes from a lyric in her song “Claw Marks.” She explained what the idea means to her as someone who frequently welcomes friends into her space.
“Something I’ve noticed is once everybody’s gone and I’m locking the doors and turning off the lights, when it’s just me at the end of the day,” Haven shared, “I kind of realize the amount of pressure that I have to hold and that I have to try to sleep with.”
The singer shared that she “took so much inspiration from Noah Cyrus” when crafting this EP. She told herself to “be human” and “be authentically you” when writing the songs’ lyrics.
Haven Takes Her Songwriting Seriously
“I was so original-heavy that I became known as the songwriter of my season, which I think is so important to my artistry,” Haven said of her choice to perform original songs on American Idol. “At the end of the day, something that I really strive to focus on is that my storytelling is strong and recognized.”
Haven described her music style as “singer-songwriter pop,” pointing out its “vulnerability, its rawness, and also the fact that I’m holding the pen.” She added that her music has “dark elements,” explaining that she leans into “Olivia Rodrigo’s thing, where it has those beefy electric guitars and power chords.”
The singer shared that she prefers to “let each song be its own” and is “not trying to make a theme, I’m just trying to make good music.”
Haven’s new EP Turn Off All the Lights is available now.
