When Jennel Garcia first stepped on The X Factor USA stage for the show's second season, she was still in high school. While she could have chosen to hit the books after graduation, the Rochester, MA singer decided to pursue it with full-force and made an impression not only on the likes of Simon Cowell but also garnered a fan base that's ready to see what she'll be up to next.

With two singles, "Life Starts Now" and "The Only One," out and an EP on the way, Jennel, now 21, is ready to take on the music world on her won. We chatted with Jennel about her time on X Factor, growing up in the industry and what her next steps are.

How has your time on The X Factor USA help shape you as an artist?

I grew up knowing that I wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment business, so I just auditioned on a whim. I didn’t know exactly how I was going to get into the music business or how I could start making music and building my career. But I didn’t apply for any colleges or even take my SATs because I was going to try writing music and touring. Then one day, I just auditioned and then one thing led to another, and I found myself flying back and forth to California and Miami and all these places that I haven’t even dreamed of going. It all kind of fell into place, and the best thing that came out of it is the fans. I think that’s the hardest part and half the battle of becoming an artist and a musician today. And the show gave me the platform to do that and build a fan base. Although I didn’t win or get the $5 million prize and all that stuff, I’m glad that I got what I go. And I’m thankful for that.

You were still a teenager when you were on the show. Did you feel that you had to grow up much faster to keep up with everything?

I definitely, definitely did. That was the hardest part about that. When you’re 18, you’re considered an adult. And I was 17 when I auditioned, so I had to take my parents with me. And then once I got the call saying, “You get to sing for the judges, like you made it.” I turned 18 a couple of days before that [call]. From there on out, I was on my own. I couldn’t bring my parents. That was a big step into the whole adult world. I felt lost because I was used to having my parents. And not having them there, I had to change a lot. It was just a huge difference in my life. And not only that. I went from this normal life of going to school to being in front of the world on television. When I describe how it was, I say it was like my college experience but in less than a year, which is faster than what someone my age learns in four years at college. I had to learn a lot of things. I had to open my mind. I had to grow to love myself and be comfortable with myself really, really fast. And [I had to] kind of accept who I was because everyone was going to see me on stage. If they loved me, I had to love me. It was so much to soak in, and it was an emotional roller coaster. But it did help me grow up really fast and learn really fast. I’m really, really thankful for it because it made me stronger, and it helped me for the world after X Factor.

What was the best piece of advice you got while on the show?

I have so much written down. When you’re on the show, everything is a blur, and you can’t even remember anything. But the one that sticks out is the week I sang “Proud Mary.” I think it’s my last week. I was having trouble with my song that week and wasn't feeling it and just didn’t want to do it. I didn’t like it. Demi [Lovato] told me, “In this business, it’s not always about you. It’s about the listener and who’s watching because you could sing this song and make someone happy. You going on this stage and singing this song could be someone’s escape.” It kind of opened my eyes to being a public figure, and it’s not all about me. After being on the X Factor, you realize that it’s important to be that person’s escape and that’s what it means for people. And you’re a part of that. It’s really eye-opening. I do believe you need to be true to yourself and do the things you love to do, but I think that regardless of me liking that song or not, it’s about the fans and doing things for them. So that’s the best advice I got, and it was from her.

Aside from performing covers on X Factor, you still do them. What makes you gravitate towards covers?

I really enjoy doing them. I love music so much. Sometimes I hear a song like [Ariana Grande’s] “Dangerous Woman” for instance. When I first heard it, I thought, “Why didn’t I write this? This is stylistically so cool. I love the way it’s written.” I loved it. So I wanted to do a cover for Instagram and then thought I would do four more because I love it so much. Then I thought I could do a studio cover of it and put my own twist on it. I think that’s what I love about doing covers so much. It’s a great way to stay in touch with fans, and it’s a great way to build more. It’s really fun to get the creative juices flowing. It’s good to put your own twist on songs and being a better songwriter and being better as an artist. It’s a good way to start out when you’re a musician, experimenting with my songs and that’s where I am right now.

You talked about finding your sound, and the songs on your EP sound very different from each other. So where are you now as far as the sound want to put out there?

I think every song has it’s own vibe, and every one sounds different. And by doing that, I really want to see what the listeners like most from me. It’s kind of like a tool to guide me as to where I’m going to go with the full-length record, which I hope I’ll be in the studio for it by the end of the year. I’m trying to figure out what people like more and what people don’t like. I do want to be true to the pop and rock sounds of my music. That will always be in my music. For this [EP], it was played with all real instruments and played live during recording. I love that whole classic feel because of that reason. I want to stay true to that. But for my next records, I want to go more toward The Shins / Walk the Moon type crowd, a little bit more of a dancey feel but still has that '80s rock vibe. But we’ll see what happens. Nothing’s set in stone. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but I’m just experimenting.

Who would want to collaborate with?

Producer-wise, I’m not really sure. But I would love to sing with Steven Tyler. I love him. I love his songwriting process. I think he’s fantastic. He’s my favorite male living singer. But I would love to write music with Matt Healy of The 1975. I think he’s a really interesting songwriter. His writing is so literal, and the stories… they mean something to him. I would love to sing with Hayley Williams. She’s one of my favorite female singers. The list goes on and on. I love so many different musicians and singers.

What’s next for you?

I’d love to get on the road, but I don’t think that’ll happen quite yet. Maybe at the end of the summer. I’m thinking of, for a side project, starting a blog and taking some acting classes. And I want to 100 percent get in the studio and work on a full-length record. I’m so anxious to get in the booth and start singing and do music again. So definitely those four things are on the books for me this year.