Resident ‘American Idol‘ country rocker Skylar Laine channeled her inner pop star tonight while singing Whitney Houston‘s ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go.’ Skylar had an early disadvantage, admitting that she had never listened to Houston growing up. We find that hard to believe.

Guest mentor and huge Houston fan Mary J. Blige cautioned the young contestant to sing softer so she wouldn’t waste all her big notes in the beginning of the song. Blige may have not given the best advice, as Skylar struggled a tiny bit during the beginning of her performance. The seemingly unstoppable Skylar was uncharacteristically subdued, starting the performance seated on a stool. Looking like the song might eat her alive, Skylar had some issues with her lower register.

But by the time Skylar hit the bridge, she had come roaring back to life. Skylar absolutely murdered (in a good way!) the last minute of the song, hitting one power note after the other.

The ‘Idol’ judges seemed to be on the fence about the performance, with Jennifer Lopez calling her, “nasally,” but praising her last few notes as, “the moment of the night.” Steven Tyler agreed with Lopez, saying Skylar nailed it in the end. Randy Jackson loved that she can competently sing any song in any genre. While this may not have been Skylar’s finest moment, we have no doubt she will survive this week due to her fiery nature and enthusiastic country fan base.

Watch Skylar Laine Perform ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’ on ‘American Idol’

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