Anoop Desai as a kid was not really a trouble maker. "I've been told I was a very calm, collected baby. I didn't cry much. Surprise, right?", says Anoop, an American Idol Season 8 finalist from North Carolina. Anoop began singing in school. He joined the elementary school choir and later also performed in high school.

Anoop, now a graduate student, speaks about his first music experience. "There's a video of me somewhere singing 'Twinkle Little Star' when I was about two in South Africa with my mom's parents", the 22 year old singer recalls.

His personality could simply be an added advantage for him to sail through the show. But one big problem for Anoop could be the connection with the audience, which most of the time he fails to create. Judges seemed to be pretty impressed with his singing talent. The top 12 rule was broken to give Anoop another chance and a top 13 was declared for the first time. A mixture of Kal Penn and Bobby Jindal, Anoop will definitely shine in life if not in the 8th Season of American Idol.