Kris Allen Talks ‘American Idol’ Regrets

Kris Allen's third album, Thank You Camellia, comes out next week, exactly three years and two days after he won "American Idol" Season 8, and just in time to coincide with "Idol's" big Season 11 finale. Kris's 2009 run on "Idol" was obviously a successful one, but when he looks back on what he could have done differently while he was competing on the show, he still harbors a few amusing regrets.

[VIDEO: Kris Allen's busking concert shut down by police]

"I wouldn't have sung in the crowd. That's like the kiss of death," Kris said in Reality Rocks' recent in-depth interview previewing his new album. (Editor's note: This interview was conducted the week that DeAndre Brackensick started his performance in the audience--and then went home in eighth place. Coincidence? I think not!)

"I think it can come across cheesy, and those people never know how to [move]," Kris explained, referring to what diehard fans often call "swaybots," aka the show's awkward hired audience members. "Like, who do they bring in for this show? Who are these people? They're like, swaying in the wrong direction and clapping off beat. And they don't look into it at all!"

Kris also revealed that he regrets the song he performed that night, "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" by Don Henley: "It wasn't my best performance; I will gladly admit that." In his defense, however, it was "Songs From The Year You Were Born" Night, and Kris cited a dearth of decent cleared tunes from his birth year, 1985, as the reason for his somewhat iffy song selection. (If he'd been born one year later, he would have done Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"--on the same episode that future runner-up Adam Lambert did TFF's "Mad World." It practically would have been Tears For Fears Night that week!)

Any other regrets? "When I look back at some of the stuff I was wearing, I think, 'Wow, you're kind of lame, Kris,'" he laughed.

Kris's not-at-all-lame Thank You Camellia is out May 22.

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