Last night’s American Idol finale (part one) pitted powerhouse singers Caleb Johnson and Jena Irene. Johnson, who was battling though a vocal chord hemorrhage, performed the tracks “Dream On,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and “As Long As You Love Me.”

“It was just like you were on planet Mars,” said Johnson after his performances. “It’s just like a different world. All these people in the audience – the lights, the music. It’s powerful.”

For host Ryan Seacrest, hosting American Idol is always a fresh experience. “It is always incredible to be on that stage and look at the 7,000 people cheering for those two individuals that made it this far. I looked over to Caleb and Jena at the top of the show when we first said hello and I said, ‘What do you think?’ They said ‘Oh my god I can’t believe how big this is.’ They did a good job.”

Click on the audio bar below to hear Caleb Johnson talk about being fine either way with tonight’s American Idol results:

Check out tonight’s American Idol results on Fox (8 pm et/pt).