Halperin never made it into the Top Ten, but the amiable performer endeared himself to audiences by being one of the first contestants to debut an original song. Sporting a soulful blend of modern and classic pop, which has been favorably compared to everyone from Jason Mraz and the Fray to Ben Folds and Coldplay, Halperin released his full-length, post-Idol debut, Rise and Fall, in December 2011. A year later, he issued a seasonal EP, Under That Christmas Spell, which included a collaboration with Hayley Orrantia, a contestant from the first season of the U.S. incarnation of The X Factor. Following live dates supporting acts such as the Fray and Lee Ann Womack, Halperin released a second full-length, Heart Tells Your Head, early in 2014. ~ James Christopher Monger & James Wilkinson