‘American Idol’ Contestant Majesty Rose: “I Didn’t Change Who I Am At All”

By Liz Kim

Twenty-one year old Rochelle York — better known as Majesty Rose — was an early standout on American Idol. Her quirkiness charmed fans, and her diverse tastes in music always surprised the judges. “When I picked my songs, I wasn’t really thinking about what America likes; I was thinking about what I like,” she said. “Yes, America was voting for me, but it was really my time to present myself, and so I thought about what made me most happy and most comfortable.”

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The singer credits the support of her family for keeping her strong each week and says it was really hard to be away from them. While she formed close bonds with her fellow contestants, she shared, “It’s just hard to be around people you don’t really know that well, so it felt like I was alone. I really needed a heartfelt hug from my family, but I’d call them a lot, and we would pray together before shows.”

Before Idol, Rose was living in Goldsboro, North Carolina and working as a preschool teacher at the Goldsboro Family YMCA. She became the pride of her town, and every week, they held viewing parties to cheer for her.

It’s this community that the star is looking forward to most now that’s she done on the Idol stage. “I’m really excited to go back home and see my friends and family. I’m going to visit my kids, but I don’t know if I’m going to be a teacher — hopefully, they saved my spot!”

Rose has big plans for her future — but first, she’s ready for some R&R. “I’m glad I’ll have a little downtime to just rest. After the tour, I’d like to do so many things, like being a commercial model,” she explained. “I want to do a lot more music, and I’d also like to do some acting. People tell me that they could see me on Broadway, and I think that would be really fun.” Plus, she wants to continue to be a positive role model for younger girls and spread the message of self-acceptance.

True to her quirky personality, Rose has some unconventional ideas on how her future album will sound. “I think it would be a mix of the acoustic stuff; I really love Coldplay,” she explained. “But there will also be happy music like Janelle Monae. I want it to be really inspiring — you’ll laugh one minute and cry the next because it’ll be a roller coaster.”

For now, thought, she’s focused on the summer tour and is looking forward to reuniting with her Idol friends. Rose said, “I’m excited to get back with the contestants because I made a lot of close friendships, and we’re going to get even closer on the tour; we’re going to be like a family.” Of course, she didn’t forget her Rosebuddies. “I’m excited for my fans to be able to see me again. I’m just so grateful to have all the support from them, and I hope to make more fans.”

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While she may not have won the competition, Rose is very proud of how far she has come. “I learned so much about myself. I learned that I’m a much stronger person than I thought,” she said. “I persevered through so much. It’s easy for somebody from a small town to change, and that’s one thing I can say — I didn’t change who I am at all.”

Although Rose isn’t looking for a romantic relationship right now, she still has a pretty good idea of what she wants. “I would look for somebody who’s like me, somebody who’s level-headed. I’d like to be with somebody who knows where they are going in life.”

You can catch Rose on the American Idol tour this summer. In the meantime, keep up with her on Twitter @PsMajestyRose.

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