Skylar Laine found herself in new territory last week on ‘American Idol.’ Despite a performance of Miranda Lambert‘s ‘Gunpowder and Lead‘ that the judges loved, the 18-year-old was lost in the bottom three. She lived to see another week — tonight (April 4) kicks off performances of ’80s songs — but the experience unnerved her.

“It was a hard pill to swallow,” Laine tells the Jackson, Miss. Clarion Ledger. “I was like ‘What did I do wrong?’”

This week, Laine will take Jimmy Iovine’s advice and choose a song with more melody to showcase her range. The move to the ‘Idol’ mansion will certainly help her establish a routine and relax. All this singing has taken a toll on her voice.

“I’ve gotten hoarse every Thursday and Friday since I’ve been out here, and that’s not a lot of fun,” she says, noting that she talks to her boyfriend Joseph almost every day. He lives in Brandon and hasn’t made the trip to Hollywood yet. Her mom is staying with her in the mean time, while Dad visits occasionally. Just last week, he brought some fresh deer meat from home — something the ‘Idol’ hopeful didn’t want her fellow contestants to catch wind of.

“I pretty much keep that stashed away from everybody,” Laine spills. “Naw, I’m kidding. I share it. And most of them like it.”

Watch Skylar Laine’s Most Recent Video Diary

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