Reality Check - Sam Woolf Talks Heartthrob Label, Song Arrangements, More - Video

Few contestants on American Idol 2014 were forced into a narrative the way Sam Woolf was. With each week, it was clear he was uncomfortable with the heartthrob label, and yet, nearly every judges' critique had some variation on how the ladies love him or how cute he is, and every results show had a dinner segment in which his fellow contestants point out how crazy the girls were going for him. And how many times did Per Blankens have him put in the pit with the fans for a performance, prompting him to awkwardly focus on something else in the distance, as if mortified of possibly being touched? It was just awkward all-around, and it was hard not to feel bad for the kid, since labelling him a "heartthrob" seemed patronizing at times, as if to minimize his accomplishments as a singer and performer. This was all made worse by last week's desperate twist to keep him around an extra week, which put all of the contestants, Sam included, in an impossible situation.

But how does Sam himself actually feel about the "heartthrob" label? American Idol 2014's fifth-place finisher sat down with TVLine.com's Michael Slezak, host of Reality Check (by the way, check out today's episode here!), to discuss his time in the competition. It's all fair game, from the "heartthrob" narrative, to the Save, to the trouble with song arrangements, and even the learning curve behind performing without a guitar. It's a fascinating interview that members of the Woolfpack shouldn't miss. Check out the full video below via TVLine.com:

Credit: TVLine.com