The spotlight may be shining brightly on American Idol, still in the exciting throes of pre-season. But now that the stage is being set for a fresh crop of contestants, where do the former attention-getters end up?

“Standing alone on the curb at the Burbank airport,” was exactly where Carly Smithson found herself once the “Idols Live“ tour came to an end. The Irish-born diva raked in the press during her 13-week stint on Idol, often astounding the crowd and judges alike with her powerhouse vocals.

Every year, the Top 12 Idol contestants become the most important people on television. They live in special housing, they are talked about by everyone. They are the biggest stars out there. They go on tour, they sign autographs, they smile for cameras.

But at some point, the cycle starts over again. Tours end, glory fades, and brand-new contestants sweep in for their shot at fame.

Smithson, who inspired rage from fans of the show when she was eliminated, found herself back at square one that lonely day in Burbank. “The city felt so huge and overwhelming, like it was going to swallow me up,” she recalls. “But I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to let it destroy me.’”

Today, the sloe-eyed singer is signed with entertainment manager Arthur Spivak. “I don’t feel that I solidified with the music choices exactly, who I wanted to be music-wise,” Smithson explained. “So when I came back to L.A., I wanted to let them hear that this was my sound, that this is who I am.”

And…who is she? We’ll find out soon enough. Smithson is currently recording a demo and she’s committed to making a music career work. “From here on, I’m diving in.”

Smithson isn’t the only highly popular contestant to fall off the radar now that season 8 is winding up. How about teary-eyed, judge-favorite Brooke White? She’s done the usual TV and magazine appearances, and even did a commercial spot with two other Idols, but so far hasn’t been signed to a label. Aussie hottie Michael Johns, startlingly eliminated in eighth place, is currently working on an album, though he’s had very little press coverage. Last year’s third-place finisher Syesha Mercado, who seemed destined for stardom, has virtually disappeared and seems to have no record-making projects in the till.

While the limelight shines on these reality stars (who sometimes manage to transcend), the glare can be pretty blinding. When those flashes of fame start to fade, however, the world can get pretty dark. Some Idols disappear…only to turn up years later on celebrity reality shows or in police reports. Others shine on, and shine well past the time when the show is over.

Who will make it this year?