Shawn is out there in her black pants and black bedazzled leather jacket looking very quasi-metal, or at least very Cher in her metal quasi-phase. Her cleavage is also bangin'. I have admitted in the past that I'm partial to Shawn, and it still holds true. The performance is somewhat bad-ass, even though I'm so sick of this song I can't even tell you. I also don't think it's necessarily the kind of song that's best for her voice, but she's working it for all it's worth. She does a good job. Jewel notes that Shawn has gotten a lot more comfortable, and this show has been all about her finding her own light and learning to love herself. Truly, Nashville Star is the greatest love of all. She sounded confident, sang great, and looked a little like Priscilla Presley. John Rich is coming out of his seat right now, because this is the performance he's wanted to see from her the entire season. He loved it, and says this is the Shawn Mayer who has a chance to win the show. Jeffrey tells her that she was bad-ass and put all the tears she was crying backstage into her performance. She killed it, he says. Shawn looks awfully happy, even in the face of elimination.

And then, it's time to learn who gets the axe. It's Laura & Sophie! Oh, huzzah. There's no better time to go punch Jewel in the throat, I say. Billy Ray asks them what's going on in their minds. Braces Tracy Flicks that it was an amazing experience and she loves everyone in the cast. Braceless doesn't get to talk, because she spoke every word in her vocabulary in a singular eye roll. We are reminded of Laura & Sophie's questionable fashion choices, and their crumbling friendship. Jeffrey tells the girls that if they can hold their friendship together, there might be big things down the road in a couple of years. In any case, Shawn Mayer is safe, yay!

Next week -- original songs! Woo!

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