Be Colton Dixon’s Valentine

MANILA, Philippines – As reality talent show history has proven many times before, you don’t really have to make it to the end to win.

For Colton Dixon, his 7th place finish in last season’s American Idol was a blessing in disguise.

While his fellow contestants battled it out to reach the show’s finale, the 21-year-old singer and songwriter got right down to business writing his own songs for what would later become his debut album.

Watch Colton perform Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie” in AI here:

Fast forward to early 2013, and “A Messenger” has debuted at No. 15 on The Billboard 200, selling more than 20,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. 

As he prepares for a Valentine concert in Manila together with fellow American Idol alum Jessica Sanchez, Colton shares that, despite being in a committed relationship with someone back home in the US, “I still haven’t figured out to sweep a girl off her feet yet; when it comes to game, this guy has none.”

But when all else fails, he confesses, “I just get behind the piano. That’s the easiest way — it doesn’t always work, but that’s how I try.”

The rocker’s been playing the piano since he was 8 years old, a talent he was able to show off several times on AI, playing a memorable version of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” among others. “I’m always jealous of the guys who play acoustic guitar on the beach,” he says. 

“I can’t take a piano on the beach. It always seems to work out for those guys.”

“As far as this album goes,” he says, “there aren’t really any songs that are dedicated towards a relationship. It’s more about the things that I’ve been through, whether it be tough times or just enjoying the good times. But I have the feeling the next album might be about relationships.”

Watch Colton perform Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” here:

And while he has written songs about heartbreak before, “those songs are extremely cheesy,” he says with a laugh. His rocker exterior belies a sensitive side when he confesses that “I can’t watch a chick flick without crying. That’s just me.”

His first kiss, he shares, happened with a girl best friend he had while growing up. “I remember we were swimming in my pool in the back of the house. We went underwater and we accidentally ran into each other.”

They kissed on the lips first, of course. “It was pretty awesome,” Colton recalls. 

In an earlier meet-and-greet with his fans, Colton revealed that he is open to the possibility of perhaps dating a fan, to which the tween girls in the audience start hyperventilating. And while his towering Mohawk and grunge sense of style may depict a rebel attitude, the devout Christian is surprisingly conservative.

“I find it annoying when girls wear midriffs and their stomach is showing,” he says. When asked what kind of qualities he finds attractive in a girl he starts listing them down:

“A good smile, then I notice her eyes and her hair. Also, a good posture,” he says. “You can tell a lot about a girl’s confidence with her posture.” – Rappler.com

(For ticket information on Jessica Sanchez’s Valentine concert with Colton Dixon, visit Ticketnet or call 911-5555.)