Sanjaya Malakar, the most popular contestant on Season Six of American Idol, gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at his meteoric rise to fame on one of the most-watched shows on television.

Despite finishing in seventh position, Sanjaya Malakar was the most talked about contestant on the sixth season of the television phenomenon American Idol. Best known for his flamboyant hairstyles and screaming young fans, Sanjaya quickly became a household name. His unique style, soft-spoken demeanor, and ingenious song selections made him a fixture on numerous entertainment programs and magazines and led to a huge and devoted fanbase that still remains today.

Here, in Dancing to the Music in My Head, he takes fans behind the scenes and reveals what it’s like to star on one of television’s most popular shows, and how the experience forever changed his life. In his own words, he shares how he soared from obscurity to worldwide fame, from waiting on line amongst thousands of hopefuls to touring with the Top Ten finalists all across the country and being named one of Time magazine’s Most Influential People of the Year in 2007. From attending a dinner at the White House to being the subject of parody on Saturday Night Live, Sanjaya has captured national attention in a way that far exceeds that of most ordinary suburban teenagers.