Nutsa Performs Action-Packed Tina Turner Cover on ‘American Idol’ – Billboard

After the drama, Nutsa Buzaladze brought some action to the American Idol stage as Hollywood Week rumbled on.

The 26-year-old native of Georgia, in Eastern Europe, turned it around with her performance on Idol, which aired Sunday night (April 9), after an incident during the previous duets round in which she was accused of sleeping on the job.

“We had a couple of issues last night,” Buzaladze’s duet partner Carina DeAngelo told the judges last time. “Some people wanted to sleep instead of working.” No prizes for guessing who those “people” are.

“It was really hurtful for me,” says Buzaladze in a package at the top of her latest performance. “I never do bad to people, I am not this person,” she told the cameras.

Katy Perry had a stinging comment after the duet, “Don’t forget about grace, more grace.”

Whatever, Buzaladze sailed through in the contest. DeAngelo did not. “Duet round was the hardest emotional experience I’ve had in my life, ever,” she says in a behind-the-scenes clip.

Later, Buzaladze apologized to the judges, and specifically Perry, and gave her “side of the story.” She didn’t speak out for fear of “bringing negative energy” and maybe crying on stage, she told the “Teenage Dream” singer.

With the drama to one side, Buzaladze got on with the action. Wearing a lime skin-tight one-piece outfit, Buzaladze went full-diva as she slammed a performance of Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary.”

“All the tears I had in the last round,” she enthused afterwards, “now I’m happy.”

The judges were too, as Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan all got to their feet. In a sit-down, Perry delivered the lines. “We have really appreciated you in this competition. Thank you for everything that you’ve brought. And we did not put you in the top 24. You put yourself in that top 24…with your spectacular talent.”

After an agonizingly long moment of confusion, some clarity. Nutsa is through to the top 24. Watch below.