‘American Idol': Laine Hardy and Laci Kaye Booth Pair Up for Johnny Cash Tune
Sunday night (Apr. 28) on American Idol was ostensibly "Queen Night," in which the Top 8 contestants performed classics from the iconic rock band's catalog. However, the network did have two hours it needed to fill...so in between doing Queen numbers, the show managed to stretch things out by adding in a little twist: Pairing up the contestants to sing songs from movies.
What this has to do with Queen, exactly, is not clear (except that the band was recently portrayed in a buzzy film, Bohemian Rhapsody). Still, it was a pleasant enough way to pad things out. In a genius (if probably expected, honestly) move, Laine Hardy was coupled up with the other country-flavored favorite of the night, Laci Kaye Booth, for a performance of "Jackson" from the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line.
Season mentor Bobby Bones observed of the pairing, "Their personalities are like Johnny Cash and June Carter. Laine is in a suit with the gravelly voice, and Laci is nice and bubbly. What's key is their connection. We know they can sing. But can they connect and make us feel it?"
Well, duh. Of course, they did. The performance sparked lavish praise from judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
Richie was first and didn't hold back. "Perfect song, perfect look, perfect attitude," he raved. "Both of you looked so darn��comfortable."
Perry had a shrewder opinion. "I've never seen you smile that large, Laine," she observed. "I'd be wondering if something else....?"
Both Richia and Bryan chided, "Katy!" to which Perry, unruffled, responded "Watch out, Caleb and Maddie," referring to last season's winner and runner-up who famously were dating each other behind the scenes.
These Country Stars Were Rejected from American Idol