Reality Rocks

Skylar Laine Talks Carrie Underwood Advice, Leaving ‘Idol’-Style Pop Behind

By | Reality Rocks – Fri, May 4, 2012 2:24 AM EDT

Skylar says goodbye on "Idol" [photo: Fox]Thursday night on "American Idol," country-rocker Skylar Laine surprisingly went home in fifth place, ironically on a night when "Idol's" all-time biggest country superstar, Carrie Underwood, performed on the show. Skylar had actually garnered flattering comparisons to Carrie during her "Idol" run, and speaking to Yahoo!'s Reality Rocks backstage immediately after her elimination, Skylar revealed that she'd received words of encouragement from Carrie this week.

"I did get to talk to Carrie Underwood before the show," said Skylar. "She just said, 'Be yourself.' And she said the country community is already welcoming me with open arms. I'm just happy about that, because I want to be next to all those great people at the CMA Fest and the CMA Awards, and all those kinds of awards. That's my dream, to be there!"

Discussing her summer concert plans, Skylar made it very clear that she won't be doing any pop songs on the Idols Live Tour. Nope, she'll be sticking to her roots and going pure country, so don't expect any reprises of "Idol" performances like "Born This Way," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," or "Wind Beneath My Wings." Said Skylar emphatically: "I'm definitely going to do stuff that's country on the tour. Country, Southern rock. I don't wanna do the pop songs. It was fine to do them [on 'Idol'], but that's not me, you know? I just want to do more mellow country songs, more like [Miranda Lambert's] 'The House That Built Me' and that kind of stuff.  Just stuff that touches your heart, that doesn't have to have all these high parts in it. And if they let me do my original song, called 'Diamond-Studded Pistol,' I will!"

[PHOTOS: "Idol" Season 11 performances]

As for her long-term post-"Idol" plans, and plans for more original songs, Skylar revealed: "I will move to Nashville after the tour, definitely. I want to write with a bunch of people like Hillary Lindsey [Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler], an amazing writer--and anybody that I can, to get great songs!"

Time will obviously tell if Skylar will go on to Underwood-style success, but with people like Carrie (who later tweeted Skylar with: "You're amazing, girl! Now hurry up and get to Nashville!") already on her side, it looks like the sky may be the limit for Skylar Laine.

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