Shelbie Z Works Hard and Plays Harder on ‘American Idol’

Written by Lauren Laffer
Shelbie Z Works Hard and Plays Harder on ‘American Idol’

Vocal powerhouse and American Idol contestant Shelbie Z rocked the stage last night when she opened the show with Gretchen Wilson’s “Work Hard, Play Harder.”

The 23-year-old Alabama native won the judges over with her sass and vocals.

“First of all, you look really good tonight,” Keith Urban shared. “I think you look like you should be up there on the stage, but I just wanted to say quickly, you chose the key where you were held down the whole time so you could do the big note at the end. For me, you sacrificed the whole song just so you had the last high note. But you did kill it on the last note.”

“I thought it was a good way to start the show as far as an opening number. It had a lot of energy to it, but I agree a little bit with Keith in that I know that you have amazing vocals and it did feel like it was in register, where it wasn’t sweet and it wasn’t cutting through the way you normally do” Jennifer Lopez admitted. “But, you know, I love you Shelbie.”

“I thought it was a good performance. I think you look great. I think you sound great,” agreed Harry Connick, Jr. “You’re very comfortable. The interesting thing for me is going to be how you stack up to everyone else, but all around, I thought it was a solid performance. I really don’t have much of a critique at all”

Tonight, Shelbie Z will duet with a former Idol before five contestants are sent home and the show will form it’s Top 14. Next week, the 14 will be narrowed down to 10 in the first live show of the season.

Last week on Idol, judges kept Mackenzie Bourg, Jeneve Rose Mitchell, Avalon Young, Gianna Isabella, La’Porsha Renae, Sonika Vaid and Thomas Stringfellow. Who will join them after tonight’s duets? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!