“American Idol” season 10 contestant Haley Reinhart thrilled fans with her jazzy, smoky vocals. On her new album, “Listen Up,” out Tuesday, May 22, she recalls sultry vocalists such as Amy Winehouse and Dusty Springfield, both of whom she considers major influences: “I come from a lot of ’60s, ’70s classic stuff and that”s definitely the sound I want to have,” she tells Hitfix in this video interview taped at her management company”s office in West Hollywood.
But it was another influence, Britney Spears, that inspired the 21-year old’s performance in her video for first single “Free,” during which she gets a boy all hot and bothered at a diner. “I grew up with my generation looking at people like Britney Spears. She oozed sex appeal so effortlessly.”
As the video shows, Reinhart has acting chops and she admits she has some aspirations in that area: “I”d love to make it a big part of my career…there”s already opportunities coming up.”
Reinhart talks about duetting with her season 10 pal, Casey Abrams, here.