‘American Idol’ Top 7: Life in the ‘Idol’ bubble

(On becoming famous)

“I think we’ve gotten a little taste of that, but I don’t think that we have any clue about what’s going to happen,” says Kris Allen. “That’s what everyone keeps saying. ‘You have no idea what’s about to happen to you.’ I’m just trying to get ready. I mean, people liking you is a good thing. People wanting to know more about you and hopefully wanting to get your music, that’s not a bad thing. So I’m embracing it completely.”  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

“I’ve learned one thing that this is, it’s a marathon and not a sprint,” says Danny Gokey. “Sometimes we’re out there and we do a song really good one week and the next week it’s maybe not as good and we have to try and pick ourselves back up because there was so much on that performance and people want to see something like that again. It’s just pacing yourself and saying, ‘You know what, I’m just going to stay steady with this thing and be in a marathon, not a sprint.’ It’s trying not to get that one good song and then fall off.”  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

“I think that one of the hardest things for me is the pressure,” Matt Giraud says. “Sometimes I kind of buckle under it. The worst thing ever is to feel like you’ve disappointed your friends and family -- people who have said, ‘Oh, this guy is going to go far’ -- and feeling like you’re making them look bad if you disappoint them. It’s one thing if the judges say that they don’t like you, but you’re still confident in your performance, like last week. A couple of weeks ago I had one like that, but recently I feel like I really let myself down. Last night I just felt like I didn’t do my best and that feels really bad. It’s bad when you get a text message from your friends and they’re like, ‘Well, I liked it.’ You’re like, ‘Oh, man. I guess it wasn’t a good night. I thought that it was a good night.’ It’s just the pressure, man. You’re trying to outdo yourself every week without looking like a fool.”  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

(On the mansion’s ghost) “She lives in our room, my room,” says Allison Iraheta. “If you spent one night in our room you’d know. I’ve heard growls. I’m not lying. I go to eat in the middle of the night, it was like 3 a.m. Alexis [Grace] named her Phyllis.”  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

“With as much hate and negativity that I’ve received, I’ve received four times more positive feedback and support,” says Adam Lambert. “That support from the fans that have stood up for me or have tried to explain to other posters what I’m trying to do, that’s inspiring and that is really cool. Now I’m just starting to filter out all the bad. If I’m reading a thing I’ll just read the positive stuff if I need a pick-me-up. I read the lousy stuff and at this point I’ve learned to just laugh at it because it’s pretty funny.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)