'Idol' Backstage Q&A: David Cook

Image credit: Michael Becker

DAVID COOK ''Basing it off of the judges' comments from Tuesday, yeah, I went into tonight thinking Archie was gonna win.''

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How did David Cook beat presumptive front-runner David Archuleta to pull off one of the most dramatic American Idol upsets ever? Was it the Missouri native's rock-star swagger? The unconventional song choices and arrangements? His seemingly unflappable disposition? Three hours, dozens of interviews, and hundreds of hand-shakes after his live coronation, Cook (who rated his fatigue factor at 94 on a scale of 1 to 10) sat down with EW.com to discuss his keys to victory.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How much sleep did you get last night?
DAVID COOK: I got a good night's sleep, not a full night, but five hours, which is pretty much par for the course with this show.

Take us back to Tuesday's show: Did you feel Simon was being exceptionally harsh?
No. You gotta have a thick skin to do this, so I just kind of took it as a challenge, which I welcomed. Plus, the fact that he was saying those things means that he's invested himself enough in who I am as an artist to want to give me his opinion. As for his apology tonight, it was appreciated, but I don't know that it was needed. I never really felt disrespected.

What about the judges' consensus that the night — and competition — belonged to Archuleta? Had you also resigned yourself to the notion that you'd be the runner-up?
It never really felt like a competition to me. Tuesday was all about having fun, just enjoying the moment and being able to share the stage with someone I respect and admire. Nothing more. But basing it off of the judges' comments from Tuesday, yeah, I went into tonight thinking Archie was gonna win. It's crazy how things turn out.

Did you want to win?
Absolutely. I think to be in this competition and not want to win is just a slap in the face to everybody that auditioned. Did I fall into it? Yes, but I never went into this thinking, I wanna take fifth or 10th place. I think that's very disrespectful.

But were there moments when you tried not to invest yourself too much and maybe disconnect a bit from the competitive aspect?
What I cared about was being able to walk off the stage and know that I did what I could. Past that, I can only care about things I can control, which, with this show, isn't much. I can't control who votes for who, what the judges say, whether I get the right lighting or the right spot in the show lineup. It's all a crapshoot and you just gotta ride with it. That's how the season was for me — I just kind of stepped back and let it play out.

Did you vote last night?
I did not, but I voted three times this season and each one was for Archuleta.

As you progressed in the competition, was there a strategy?
Yes and no. I had one, in that I wanted to show America who I was gonna be as an artist once this was over, and I feel like I succeeded. I don't feel I compromised who I was at any point. But, I don't know, to be yourself isn't really a strategy, I just did it.

What about with your song choices?
If you look at my song choices throughout the season and put them in order, it's like a set list. That's the vibe that I wanted and the theory I went with, and it seems to have worked out.

NEXT PAGE: ''Maturity? You guys don't see me when the cameras are off.''