During his run on "American Idol," [article id="1639470"]Casey James[/article] was repeatedly lauded for two things: his general hotness and his deft guitar-playing. Guess which one he's planning to feature on his post-"Idol" debut?

"It's going to be something kinda new and different," season nine's second runner-up told MTV News on Wednesday (June 2). "It's probably going to be a rocky/bluesy/country-type thing. ... It'll be a way for me to do all the things that I love, because there's no other way for me to go. It won't be something where you don't hear guitar, because that's what I do. You're definitely gonna hear guitar."

That's good news for fans of James' bluesy, deep-fried fretwork. After all, his guitar-playing earned him high praise from both the "Idol" judges and journalists who cover the program (USA Today called him "the best guitar player the show has seen"), and it would be a shame if it didn't end up on his debut disc. But for all the accolades his ax-work earned him, James said it took some convincing on his part before "Idol" producers would let him play.

"I was really shocked going in, like, I thought, well, I wouldn't be able to play my guitar at all. And I think it was the second week, I just straight-up told them, 'This is what I want to do,' and they were nice enough to let me do it, and I got ripped up for it," he smiled. "But I think it set a precedent for me as a musician, as an artist, on the show, that this was what I was going to do. And then, later on down the line, that's exactly what happened. They would say, 'You know what, why don't you do a little lead there?' And I'd be like, 'Really? OK, I'll do that!' "

In the end, it paid off. And though the ninth season of "AI" just wrapped -- and despite James having a very busy summer ahead of him on the Idols Live! tour -- he's already thinking about his album.

"It's the whole reason I did the show," he said.

There's only one slight problem: Unlike fellow finalists [article id="1640281"]Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze[/article], James has yet to ink a record deal with the folks at 19 Recordings or any other label. But that could really change any moment now.

"I mean, they could call me right now," he laughed. "I sat down and talked with some people and, you know, it remains to be seen, but hopefully, yeah, I'll get a deal and be able to put out a record."

Which season-nine contestant's album are you most looking forward to? Sound off in the comments.

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