Skylar Laine may have belted “The Show Must Go On,” but her American Idol journey came to a close last night.
The 18-year-old country firecracker, who made it into the top five, wasn’t shy about her desire to win the competition, so viewers were surprised when she told Ryan Seacrest she was “relieved” to be going home. We chatted with Skylar, who clarifies the comments she made after her elimination and reveals she wasn’t surprised to be voted off the Fox hit show.
Plus, what did Skylar have to say about a fellow contestant’s controversial clothing choice?
Skylar was unapologetic about her country roots throughout the competition, which may have turned off voters who don’t listen to country music, a risk the singer was well aware of. “It’s definitely a conscious decision,” she explains. “I’ve accepted the fact that if I get to make an album and put singles out, they’re probably only going to be played on country radio—that’s just the way it is and that’s the way my songs are going to sound. I’ve accepted that.”
Still, Skylar has no regrets about her Idol journey. “I really think I showed everything that I could. I really think I showed a lot of stuff and I wouldn’t change a thing that I did on the show.”
After being voted off the show, Skylar said she was relieved to be going home. “This has been the most stressful time, but the thing is I loved it,” she clarifies. “I said I was relieved because I won’t have to have that crazy hectic schedule, I won’t have to worry about song choice and being judged.”
MORE: Idol Elimination: Who Got the Saddest Boot Yet?
Skylar admits she wasn’t “surprised” by her elimination. “I had a gut feeling when I came back up there and I told Hollie [Cavanagh], ‘I think you’re about to be surprised,’ because she thought she was going home. She was like, ‘No, I’m not.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to be surprised.’ I said, ‘I told you so!’ after. I wasn’t surprised because you can’t be. You never know what’s going to happen.”
But former Idol champion Carrie Underwood, who performed on last night’s show, said she was surprised to see Skylar go. “I think she’s so sweet about it,” Skylar gushes. “She actually said in one of her interviews I think that the country community has already welcomed me with open arms and that just means the world to me!”
There was some controversy surrounding Jessica Sanchez‘s white dress from performance night, with mentor Jimmy Iovine suggesting it was inappropriate for a 16-year-old to be wearing. “I really don’t know what to do say about that. I loved her dress,” Skylar says. “Jessica’s got a body to die for! I love the dress. I didn’t really have a problem with it.”
Finally, Skylar says she plans on moving to Nashville after finishing the American Idol summer tour. “I’m going to move to Nashville because that’s where country music is and that’s where country artists record—that’s where I want to be,” she says.
Do you think it was Skylar’s time to go? Who do you think will win American Idol this season? Sound off in the comments