MANILA, Philippines?Four-time ?American Idol? aspirant Chikezie Eze is proof that it pays to persevere.

The soul singer not only breezed through the early Hollywood rounds but he also hung on long enough to crash the Top 10, which is set to do the ?Idols? tour once the season ends.

?If you believe in something and you just fight with everything you have, you can get it,? the 22-year-old told the international press in a teleconference arranged by Star World.

Chikezie?s pursuit of ?Idol? seems to have been an entire career altogether. He had even posted on the show?s official website that constant rejection in musical endeavors has been his toughest obstacle in life.

Raised by Nigerian parents in Inglewood, California, the former airport security guard had drawn experience from choir performances, plus vocal and theater training in community college.

?Being at Santa Monica College? was what made me the singer that I am,? said Chikezie. ?Honestly, I learned more there than I could have ever learned on my own or anywhere else. I would not be on ?Idol? if it was not for that class, point-blank.?

What went wrong

So what went wrong in his first few auditions?

The singer replied: ?What hit me the hardest last year and the previous years that I had auditioned was, ?Okay, what?s wrong? Why am I not getting anywhere? Why don?t these people get what I?m trying to do??

?I came to this competition thinking all I?ve got to do is sing but? that?s what everyone else is doing. What else can I do? Can I perform, work a stage and entertain? That?s the realization I had to come to to basically step myself up and get to where I got.?

He added, ?I worked as hard as I possibly could to get here (AI) and the rest wasn?t nearly as difficult as what it took to get to that point. I was just enjoying the ride from then on.?

Enjoying the ride meant doing what Chikezie had felt was right?regardless of the judges? comments.

On the week he chose to sing Brenda Russell?s ?If Only for One Night,? he had expected Simon Cowell to take a stab at the song choice.

?I already knew Simon wasn?t going to feel it (the song) no matter what,? said Chikezie. ?I just had to do what I felt was right and that I felt represented me, so it (criticism) didn?t make a difference.?

Knowing Simon

He likened the situation to being on a diving board: ?You know the diving board is eventually going to end so you run even faster? I knew the judges, at least Simon, would not like it (performance). It took a lot of the pressure off because then I didn?t have that to worry about. I was just performing for the sake of performing, which is what I love to do.?

Chikezie?s soulful, energetic performances could not have betrayed that he had actually never been to a live concert. He said missing out on the experience had not been a limitation on ?Idol.?

?You basically do all that stuff that you say, ?Oh that would be cool if I could do that.? And all the stuff that you do when you think nobody?s watching, just all the crazy stuff, if it comes to mind, why not? Just go for it.?

Getting booted off the show had not dampened Chikezie?s spirits as well. ?I was glad none of the other guys had to go home. That?s probably the hardest part of the show?saying goodbye to your friends. Things couldn?t have gone better. I didn?t have to say goodbye to anybody and no one had to say goodbye to me because they?ll be seeing me again on tour.?

He and the other ?Idol? finalists share something more than friendship, in fact. ?We?ve become a family... a group of people basically going for a similar goal and it?s not necessarily to win or beat anyone, but simply to be successful in what it is we love,? explained Chikezie.

?We (finalists) basically just form these bonds where we?re helping each other out, [sort of an] amazing support system.?

God?s plan

A strong believer in faith, Chikezie said, ?Something of this magnitude? I could never have imagined this for myself. This was just God?s plan in the works. Before ?Idol,? I thought that if I could just get by singing here and there, maybe I?d be able to have some sort of a mini career so I could look back and say I tried. I had my time, but now? I could really do something with my life and with my career.?

To start off his career, the ?Idol? finalist had opted to drop the surname Eze (Eh-zeh) for the benefit of fans who constantly mispronounce it.

His record would be a fusion type of album, something akin to the music of Gnarls Barkley. He believes there was much to admire about the collaboration between Baltimore-based DJ and producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and rapper-singer Cee-Lo (Thomas Callaway), including their willingness to take risks.

Another of Chikezie?s favorite performers is Michael Jackson, whom he described as ?an inventor.?

?I don?t believe he has had a routine ever? He works it and works it and works it. That?s something anybody should look up to. It?s that freedom that separates singers from artists.?

Hoping to emulate the award-winning pop star, Chikezie said he wants to take home at least one Grammy in 10 years. But for now, he plans to jump-start his career by focusing on producing music that makes him and others feel good, including his parents Richard and Shieka Eze.

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?American Idol? Season 7 airs live Wednesday and Thursday, 6 p.m., on Star World and QTV, with same-night replays on Star World at 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.