'American Idol' Favorite Haley Reinhart Signs a Record Deal

Back in March of this year, we speculated that "American Idol" third place runner-up Haley Reinhart already had a record deal in place based on hints her parents dropped about a new single. Turns out we may have been right.

EW reported today that Reinhart "has officially been signed to 19 Entertainment/Interscope Records." Label reps also confirmed the report to THR.

Reinhart was one of the more popular contestants in the show's recent history. While her soulful, jazzy vocals (see below) inspired legions of fans, they weren't enough to overcome the folksy country are-they-or-aren't-they charms of Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery. McCreery won season 10 of the show.

Also on Interscope is another popular season 10 Idol, Pia Toscano, who placed ninth.

As Haley's father Harry noted after Reinhart got the boot from "American Idol," it isn't necessarily all bad that Haley was eliminated: "You don't have to be so tied to the company that way."

We'll see how Reinhart does on her own. How do you think she'll compete against Lauren, Scotty and Pia on the charts?

Watch Haley Reinhart's stellar "American Idol" performance of "House of the Rising Sun":