Season 7, sixth place

Smithson, one of Idol's foremost lady-rockers, originally wanted to make a solo album. But the lure of forming a band spoke to her instead — and that's when she met Ben Moody, formerly of Evanesence, with whom she created We Are the Fallen. ''I've never been so on the same page with someone before,'' Smithson says of Moody, who's famous for abruptly quitting Evanesence after creative differences with lead singer Amy Lee. ''This record just fell out of us,'' Smithson says of Tear the World Down, slated for a May 11 release. ''I'd been writing for a long time, years, and it was always an effort — never as easy as this. It's tender and emotional in parts. In other parts, it's dramatic and in-your-face and very bold.'' But the best part of the record? ''We have a massive choir throughout.'' —Tanner Stransky

Check out We Are the Fallen's official site.