Only on OMG! – Pia Toscano excited to perform for Pinoy fans

For "American Idol" finalist Pia Toscano, the best moment of her live tour is when she meets fans.

"There's this occasion where this little girl -- her name is Charlotte -- came up to me and her mother told me, 'when you were eliminated, she was really crying.' The fact that you're making a certain impact is incredible," she said in a phone interview with Yahoo! Philippines OMG!

The 22-year-old singer added: "And to meet them after the show, they wait on line, they're there out waiting for us to arrive in the venue and they're the last ones to leave outside. Their dedication is definitely very memorable."
Of course, Pia is excited to meet the Filipino "Idol" fans on September 20 and 21 for the Philippine leg of the 2011 "American Idol Live Tour." She's heard and even experienced first-hand how enthusiastic and dedicated Filipino fans are.

"When we all heard the news (about the Philippine concert), we were all really happy. It's such an honor and I heard the Filipino fans are amazing. I know how appreciative they are of us. It's gonna be so amazing. I cannot wait to go," Pia said.

God's plan

As one of the early frontrunners, the 22-year-old songstress was emotional when she was eliminated during the top nine elimination night (she performed "River Deep-Mountain" by Ike & Tina Turner during the performance night) of "American Idol." Even judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and Randy Jackson were visibly shocked with her surprising fall from the show. But fan favorite Pia said, at that point, that she believed God has another plan for her.

"I knew something was gonna happen. I worked really hard after my elimination so it's a proof that I can do this. I'm really just thankful with how everything worked out," she said. "I just knew that God has a plan for me. And there was. And I'm glad."

Pia has been working hard even before "Idol." Prior to this season, she already auditioned a few times, making it as far as Hollywood week in season 6. In fact, Pia said that if Simon Cowell was still in the judge's panel, she probably wouldn't have made it to the top 12 since "he had eliminated me in the past."

So her failed efforts did have a purpose, because Pia is the first season 10 Idol contestant besides winner Scotty McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina to release a single.

"Ryan Seacrest premiered my single "This Time." Hearing my single on the radio is insane. I mean, I was so happy. I feel so happy thinking about it right now. All the hard work paid off," Pia said when asked about what she felt when she first heard her single on the radio.

An edgier Pia

As for her debut album, Pia says "I'm about eight songs on it right now."

What should fans expect from her album, which is scheduled to come out late this year?

"It's definitely gonna be edgy. It's gonna be fun, powerful, soulful," Pia replied.

She added that her album will show fans that she's not an emotionally distant, uninventive performer, as some critics say.

"It's definitely gonna be different from what people saw me do on the show because people just saw me and that's not the only way that I want people to see me. So it's definitely gonna be a very good representation of who I am but it's gonna have a little more edge, soul, and power," she said.

Pia knows there were some criticisms with the way she performed on "Idol." So she's also working hard to improve on her flaws.

"I just want to have the best vocal performance I could have on "Idol" so a lot of times I was focused on singing so much and not a lot on the performance because I was so worried to mess up vocally. But I'm definitely working on it during the tour," she shared.

Big dreams

Since Pia has already penetrated the very competitive music industry in America, what are her dreams as a performer?

"I dream really big," Pia said

She continued, "Since I was a little girl, I remember Whitney Houston performing at the Super Bowl. I always wanted to do that. Every year, when we watch the Super Bowl, I make everybody be quiet because I want to hear the national anthem. That's my dream. I hope within the next few years, I can accomplish that."

Pia is pertaining to Houston's 1991 performance of the "Star Spangled Banner" during the Super Bowl XXV. That rendition is the first and only commercial single of the American nation anthem to reach the Billboard US Top 20.

Of course, Pia wants her upcoming album to do well. "I just want this album to do really well. I want to release a few more albums. I just hope for the best," Pia shared.

And finally: "Since I was a little girl, I have my speech ready. I hope someday I can win a Grammy."

Pia's message to Filipino fans? "Thank you everyone from the Philippines. Thank you so much for your support. We love you us so much. We can't wait to perform for you all. Thank you for getting us to where we are right now."