Shelbie Z showcased her powerful stage presence on American Idol earlier this week. In the Top 24 solo round, she impressed with an edgy cover of Gretchen Wilson's "Work Hard, Play Harder."

Before she took the stage, a video of Shelbie aired in which she said, "I am a rebel at heart. I like shooting my guns, I like ATV-ing and I like mud bogging."

As she took the stage to perform "Work Hard, Play Harder," she introduced the track by asking the audience, "How many of y'all work hard out there?" Dressed all in black, she commanded the stage, frequently pointing to the judges and winking as she sang her soulful rendition of Wilson's song.

Before she belted the last note, she urged the audience to clap their hands along with her and they did, no doubt a sign of her star power. While the judges were mostly favorable, Keith Urban offered some critiques of her performance.

"You look really good tonight. I think you look like you should be up there on the stage," he said. "You chose the key where you were held down the whole time so you could do the big note at the end. For me, you sacrificed the whole song just so you had the last high note but you did kill it on the last note."

Jennifer Lopez agreed with Urban's statement, but said she does love Shelbie.

"Good way to start the show. It had a lot of energy to it. I know you have amazing vocals, and it did feel like it was in a register where it wasn't sweet and it wasn't cutting through the way you usually do."

While Lopez and Urban had specific comments about her performance, Harry Connick Jr. didn't have much to say.

"All around I thought it was a solid performance. I really don't have much of a critique at all," he concluded.

American Idol Finalists: Where Are They Now?

Most Unforgettable American Idol Auditions

More From KLAW-FM