In a Friday conference call with reporters, Naima talked about her musical and dance background, as well as the personality she tried to display. Here's an edited transcript.
Q: As a woman, were you worried about votes?
A: We weren't really concerned. We all had faith in ourselves.
When it comes down to it, the reality is that more than 50% of the audience is, like, little teenage girls. Once they get a crush, we're done. They dominate, and that's all right.
We didn't have too many conversations about it. We were all pretty confident in our work. It is the reality of the situation. The teenyboppers, once they fall in love … I feel like my audience was more kind of the older crowd who are not necessarily as technology-savvy sometimes. I would get people saying, "I voted for you 3 times!" And it's like, "You could have voted 500, if you'd just text."
Q: Lauren Alaina seemed so upset with the decision that you guys were going. What did she say to you afterward, because you were kind of like a mother figure to her, right?
A: She cried it out a little but that's a natural thing. I think it was very hard for her because I was a mother figure, a little bit: I always tell her to have confidence in herself, believe in herself, and how she's beautiful, not to let anybody alter what she thinks of herself. But even more so it was Thia: That was her ace, they were in school together all the time, they were really close and tight. It really is like losing a best friend. I had my moment where I couldn't hold it together, saying "See you later" to Jacob. That's been my ace. You get emotionally attached to these people, because you're living in such close quarters. You start to learn their stories, you learn their personalities and you get attached. It hurts to see people go. But we will reunite.
Q: What will you miss the most, of all the stuff you got to do?
A: Shopping! That was one of the best parts for me. Performing is everything, it really, but when we got to shop and you get to do the accessories and the shoes, I got a kick out of that. Then I get an even bigger kick when it's not expensive; then I can get even more things!
That was my release time; it was really awesome to co-create things with Soyon [An]. She really knew my style. She would have stuff hanging on the rack before we even went shopping. I would be like, "Oh! I'll just wear that! We don't even have to go shopping!" That was one of the best parts for me, I have to admit.
Q: What is your dance background? I understand you were part of a dance troupe.
A: I've been a part of many dance troupes. I used to do hip-hop, but for most of my life I've done African dance. I was a part of Ko-Thi Dance Company in Milwaukee. Any African dance company that you name in Milwaukee, I've probably been a part of.
Dancing has always been a part of my life. Ever since I was young, just playing around on the streets of Chicago, doing the hand-clapping and dancing. It has always been something I connected to. I did go to college and study dance. I got a BFA in dance so I know all different forms of dance. I could have tacked on some ballet, but that's not necessarily my realm. It probably would have looked a little weird doing pirouettes in a reggae song. Dancing is something I've truly connected to.
I've always, always incorporated dance into my performance. I had a reggae band back home with my husband and we always move onstage. It's unnatural for us not to. You have to dance, you have to move, you have to physically be engaged to be able to connect with the audience.
Q: With your reggae performance, did you feel like you needed to shake things up and get people's attention?
A: I just wanted to really show every piece of me. I've been trying to take opportunities every time to show a new thing, show something different about me. I hadn't really gone roots reggae and that's a big part of me. I connect to it. And so I did.
I had some people telling me, "I don't know about it." But, me, I'm all about staying true to myself. Once I have my mind set on something, I go after it. I did what I did, and I have no regrets about anything I've done on the show. I'm happy that I was able to show that side of me.
Q: You were one of the more charismatic personalities on the show. Do you think that was off-putting? Like people weren't used to somebody bringing so much of their own artistry to the show?
A: That was a big thing. I think sometimes people just didn't know where to place me. I felt like maybe they didn't understand me sometimes. But, honestly, the reactions have been positive, though. It was like, "I don't know about you, but I kind of like you."
I definitely struck people in a different kind of way. I think, because it was hard to place me in a certain category, that did have an effect on how people voted or how they perceived me.
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