‘American Idol’s Brooks Rosser Explains Viral One-Word Response to Ryan Seacrest

Brooks Rosser won over the American Idol judges, and hopefully enough voters to make it to the Top 12 next week, with his rendition of the John Lennon classic song “Imagine” on songs of faith night.

“I just love your voice,” Luke Bryan raved to Rosser after he sang. “I love the way it sounds. I want to listen. I want you to go write a million songs and record ‘em so I can go buy them.”

“Your voice is amazing,” concurred Lionel Richie. “The most important thing you have is your uniquenmess to that voice – it’s just unbelievable. I love your voice.”

“We are always very excited and curious to see what you’re going to do,” added Carrie Underwood. “You put your stamp on everything you do.”

The 22-year-old singer from Bel Air, Maryland, is also getting some attention for his endearing “performance” of his post-singing interview with host Ryan Seacrest. When Seacrest tossed him a softball question, Brooks seemed unsure how to respond. In fairness to the singer, he’s not used to doing live interviews on national TV. For millions of people, no less!

Seacrest asked Brooks how it felt to be singing in front of all these people, hoping to get votes. “Great,” Brooks replied, after taking a beat to process the question. In turn, Seacrest also took a beat, perhaps wondering if any elaboration was coming, and then, he deadpanned, “OK, then!”

TV Insider caught up with Brooks for a one-on-one interview after the live show to get his reaction to his inadvertently funny interviews. Did he realize that Seacrest might have been looking for a longer sound bite? “Definitely,” Brooks says. “I don’t have a lot of words [when I’m not singing].”

He adds that right after his performance, he was still in shock. “The night was excellent,” he says. “Just to be out there and being able to perform on a stage again in front of a bunch of people.”

Brooks, of course, is never at a loss for words when he’s singing. About doing interviews and other things that aren’t singing involving his participation in American Idol, Brooks admits, “I mean, I’m still getting used to it. This is just a great opportunity, and I’m starting to like all the interviews and all the extra stuff. It makes me feel like I’m bringing something positive, being known for something positive, being on American Idol and spreading positivity.”

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While the Top 14 singers won’t know for certain whether or not they’ve made it through to the Top 12 until next week, Brooks says, he “feels great. I would love to be here another week. I’m going to be worried the whole week [over a potential elimination]. If I’m going to go home and not make the Top 12, I get to spend this next week with all these contestants, who are now my family. And we just all vibe together day and night.”

Brooks says he’ll stay focused on staying positive about moving forward in the show by “staying confident, motivated, and just be myself. That’s the best advice I’ve ever gotten.”

As for the singers who were eliminated at the top of last night’s show, Brooks encourages them to keep going. “Everyone’s here for a reason,” he concludes. “It’s just a different path of the journey. Everyone here has their own talent.”

American Idol, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC