Right after 'Idol,' I was like, 'I've got to become a totally different person. I gotta upgrade myself.' I can't just stand there and be all shy and sing.

I was born in America, but I consider myself a Filipino.

I don't speak Filipino or Spanish, but I've sung in both.

I'm playing a powerhouse singer who is big competition, but she's also really down to earth and sweet. But the whole sweet thing goes away when she's in competition mode. I love the show, so I'm very excited to be a part of it. I'm going to kill it on 'Glee!'

But I'm really into old music - bluesy, soulful singers, like Etta James, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin. I wouldn't have minded being born in the 1960s!