“I Was the Target for Great Television Ratings”: An Interview with Rock Star: Supernova’s Runner-Up, Dilana

It’s been a crazy week for Dilana, who came close to being chosen as the lead singer for Supernova (or whatever they will be called now), but didn’t quite get it. Is she upset, or actually somewhat happy about that? RealityNewsOnline had a chance to talk to her about that topic and many others.

RealityNewsOnline: Hello, Dilana, and congratulations on making it as far as you did!

Dilana: Thanks very much, I appreciate that. I feel like I’ve won just by being number two.

RNO: Knowing you were so close, do you think there is anything you could have done differently to win?

Dilana: Yes, I’m sure if I wanted to win, there’s one thing I could have done. I think that would be to party my ass off and get drunk every night and act like a total hooligan. (pause) No, just joking! (laughing) I have no regrets about anything. I learned a lot from the things I said and did. I’m extremely pleased I got second place and not first.

I went through phases where I wanted to win because it was the quickest, easiest way to go, with an album waiting and a tour waiting. But then I went through phases where I wondered if I wanted to sing that kind of music. I prefer to do my own thing. It was flip-flopping around in my mind. But I’m very pleased I got second place so I can do my own thing, which is ultimately what every artist wants.

RNO: Before we go any further, how is your leg?

Dilana: My leg is doing so much better, thanks. Today is the first day I haven’t had any discomfort at all – it’s looking rather horrible. It’s really bruised from the healing process.

RNO: What did you actually do to it?

Dilana: I went running – the first time in almost three months we were allowed to do it – and I think I overdid it. I woke up the day of taping and I could barely walk. I stretched but I obviously didn’t stretch enough. I was onstage rehearsing and I jumped up and I felt it rip – I tore my calf muscle. It was very painful.

They were filming and taping it for rehearsal purposes. I couldn’t stop in the middle. I continued singing but I was frozen. As the song ended, I fell down and yelled out “F**K!” It was so painful. I went upstairs and got a therapist, the doctor came in. I was icing it and he gave me a shot in my butt to relax the muscle. I managed to get through the show.

To give you an idea of how sick TV can be sometimes, they rolled me to the stage in a wheelchair, but I refused to go onstage that way, so I got the security guy to bring me onstage. Mark Burnett saw me in the wheelchair before my performance and got excited. He wanted to roll me onstage in the wheelchair. I asked if he was f**king sick, I’m not going on in a wheelchair! So he said, “Maybe you should just crawl, that’s amazing!” I shook my head and walked into the men’s bathroom and smoked a cigarette.

That’s television. I’ve been through it all; I’ve been the pawn for good ratings. But this is just – that’s it. He hasn’t spoken another word to me since then.

RNO: A number of contestants we spoke to who were sent home weeks ago picked Lukas to win even then – do you think the band made up their minds early on, or were they truly up in the air until the end?

Dilana: I don’t think the band did, but I think Tommy had made up his mind. We know for a fact each one of the guys had their favorite. It was a matter of them battling it out, and it’s Tommy’s band, so ultimately he got to pick who he wanted. I also agree he was the best guy for the job, he deserves it and I’m very happy for him.

RNO: You said each band member had a favorite. Who were they?

Dilana: Jason said in an interview that if he had his choice, it would have been Magni. Gilby told me if he had his choice it would have been me. And Tommy obviously wanted Lukas.

RNO: Do you think that’s why the band picked Lukas to win but then Gilby turned around immediately and offered to help you on your album?

Dilana: Yes, because Gilby wanted me to win. From the start, Gilby and I made a connection. Musically we are kind of on the same side. I’m kind of old school but new school as well. We have a couple things in common. Then working with him on the show, there was a musical chemistry. He told me he really believes in me and I should be selling CDs and playing live shows. I’m meeting with him tomorrow (this past weekend) to officially begin. We’ll probably be in the studio in the next few days to record the first single. Dave Navarro has agreed to play on the single, and the guys in the house band too. It’s going to be awesome!

RNO: At one point Dave said he had input on the decisions – how much did he have?

Dilana: Dave is one of the producers of the show and I think his job was basically to be in between the three guys when making decisions and giving his opinions. But ultimately it was up to Supernova.

RNO: I’ve had a number of people comment that if you couldn’t win Rock Star, no woman can. Do you think the band was as open to the idea of a female lead singer as a male?

Dilana: I think initially they had reservations about it – I honestly do – from footage I saw on the internet prior to coming. I’m pretty sure as the weeks went by, they had a change of mind. I sang one week and Gilby said now he could totally see a girl fronting the band. I was convinced they realized it could be possible. I think Tommy was more for the guys and Jason was open and Gilby was totally convinced a girl could do it.

RNO: What was your life like before the show?

Dilana: I’ve been doing a one-chick show for the last three years, all around the Houston area and some corporate things in Louisiana and North of Texas. My life has been really really busy, gigging four or five nights a week, running my entire business by myself. I had a personal trainer and I’d work my ass off, I had a Harley and I’d go riding with a friend. I loved my life! Now I’m stuck in L.A. and moving into an apartment and staying here until the CD is done. Then I’ll have to decide whether to stay here or move somewhere, like to Iceland. (laughing) I’m actually going to Iceland in two weeks to do a gig with Magni. I like to travel.

RNO: Did you feel pressure for being the early favorite – or did you even know you were the early favorite?

Dilana: Yeah, I pretty much knew it based on the critiques from the judges every week, and not being in the bottom three ‘til the end. I felt a tremendous amount of pressure. There was a kind of vibe and little comments from the others. Things like, “You could fart in the mic and they’d love you” and “And the Emmy goes to…”

I was trying to blend in with them and make friends. But how do you separate winning from friendship? There was a lot of pressure. But as the weeks went by, I started accepting the fact that I’m the best and you f**kers just live with it! (laughing) Then we became better friends and I was able to express how I felt. Eventually it was never even spoken of until near the end. It was cool. I dealt with it.

RNO: Which of your performances was your favorite?

Dilana: Lithium, Ring of Fire, Zombie, Time After Time, Cat’s in the Cradle, The Who – I love them all! I really did. I think Mother Mother was one that stood out because that was the big one after all the drama – it was like a f**k you song for me. I could get rid of all my anger and all the drama on stage. I didn’t care if they were going to send me home or not. I killed it and I knew if I left, I would have gone home with a big bang. And Lithium for me was the best because it put me on the map immediately. Ring of Fire also showed a different side of me. Every performance had something really special.

RNO: What song would you have liked to perform, but you didn’t get a chance?

Dilana: A bunch of songs that didn’t clear. I wanted to do AC/DC or Led Zeppelin. I wanted to do a song by the Beatles, “Help,” in my own arrangement, but it didn’t clear – a rocking ballad version. I wanted to do some heavy heavy stuff, but none of it cleared.

RNO: What did you learn from this experience?

Dilana: I learned that there is a huge difference between honesty and bluntness. That was one thing. The other was that I learned to aim and then fire, not fire and then aim. Take a breath and think before I speak and let my bluntness drop out of my mouth. I’ve been doing it all my life. I’ve lived independently al my life. It’s all about thinking before I say something and making it come out in a more p.c. kind of way and not hurting people unintentionally. I would never intentionally hurt somebody, but the way I speak could unintentionally. That was the biggest lesson.

RNO: We of course only saw the dramatic moments in the house – but was the overall mood in the house one of competition or friendship?

Dilana: When the drama happened, more competition. Actually, I never really looked at it as a competition or thought of them as competition. The competition was me against me the entire time. The friendship was very important to me and I think to everybody in the house. When I had the drama, the people who were still left felt for me. They understood I was the target for great television ratings. My fellow rockers got pissed off about it too. When I broke down, they totally understood.

RNO: How have you changed as a singer and performer over the summer?

Dilana: As a performer I haven’t really changed that much. What I did on the show is everything I have, which is what I have been doing. I injure myself because I’m so excited! As a singer I’ve grown so much because of the vocal lessons we’ve had with Liz Lewis, my amazing vocal coach. She has taught me so much. As a singer I’ve learned some new tricks and learned to warm up. Those things have helped so much.

RNO: Do you have anything else you want to tell your fans?

Dilana: I want my fans to know I love and adore them and thank them from the bottom of my heart. If it wasn’t for the fans, I don’t think I would have made it and wouldn’t have been here today. It’s totally from them, they’ve given me the drive to keep going. My single is coming out really soon, I think we’re coming out with “Supersoul.”

RNO: You mentioned that you’re working with Gilby on it, and he had some thoughts on that song – do you think you’ll change it?

Dilana: I actually told Gilby I would like to change a few things on it – I wrote the lyrics about five years ago. A few little changes will be made.

RNO: Thanks again, Dilana. We’ll be awaiting your album!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent articles on Foxes On Idol:

David Bloomberg is the Editor of Foxes On Idol, and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com.

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