Top 25 Performances of 2012 – New Year’s Countdown – #8
American Idol · The X Factor
#8 is Skylar Laine with “Stay With Me”! Okay, so Skylar had some pretty spectacular vocal moments over the course of her American Idol run. “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” (my personal favorite!) could have easily slipped into this spot as Skylar’s best. She’s a country star in the making! Yet, I think there’s something to be said for the fact that she’s possibly the first Idol contestant ever to buck praise for ballads in favor of partying like a country rock star and ripping up the stage, especially if you’re damn good at doing it. I took it all into consideration.
Skylar is quite possibly the most diverse country performer to come across our screens via reality TV singing competitions. Most of the time, artists of such a specific genre, artists with a built in audience ready to speed dial, refuse to take risks. Why would they? However, over the course of Skylar’s run, she tackled everything from Faces to Lady Gaga, from Marvin Gaye to Whitney Houston (And not an “I Will Always Love You” throwaway, either) with absolute ease. It would be a travesty if this girl doesn’t end up signed by a major country label soon.
Skylar Laine takes the #8 spot on this countdown for being absolutely fearless and consistently exceptional. Whether or not country is your cup of tea, this girl hit the stage week after week ready to entertain you. It seems like there are stigmas that follow country contestants, like making statements and being yourself are malignant to your credibility. Skylar proved that doing whatever the hell feels right as an artist will tend to create amazing performances. Baby, she was born this way!
Her performance on Idol is no longer available for viewing, but here’s Skylar’s performance of “Stay With Me” on the Idols Live! Tour!
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If you’re interested in how this countdown works, check out the original post Here!
