Allison Iraheta on Her Special Relationship With Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert or Kris Allen? Though their fellow Idols were diplomatic when Rolling Stone asked them to break down the chances of either singer winning American Idol's Season Eight, ousted hopeful Allison Iraheta wasn't shy when she spoke about her special relationship with Lambert, with whom she performed "Slow Ride" during Rock Week, when Slash joined the show as a mentor. (Can Lambert take the Idol title home for sure? Check out Five Ways Lambert Could Lose American Idol).

"He's very much like an older brother to me and we really got closer when we did the duet," she says of Lambert, who Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield credits with saving the sagging Idol franchise. "It was so much fun! As soon as [producers] said we were doing duets, we looked at each other like, 'We have to do something!' It was one of the most fun things [I've done] on the show. [Producers] said we could choose our partner amongst ourselves, so that was when Adam and I just looked at each other. He saw 'Slow Ride,' and I was like, 'OK, let's do it!' We're definitely thinking about singing it on tour, because a lot of people liked it and we had a blast!"

(Check out Lambert in all his leather and spandex glory.)

Iraheta's spunk and hoarse growl reminded some Idol fans of Pink, and Iraheta says she appreciates the comparison. "If I ever get the opportunity to meet Pink, it would be great," she says. "To work with her, I'd be set. That's my goal in life to do something with Pink — I've looked up to her since I was little and she's a big inspiration to me." And while she's still in school — Iraheta is still only 17 — she says she hopes to follow the Idols Live Tour with a record. "I want to record and get my stuff out there, let people know what I've been wanting to do ever since I was little. I just want to keep doing rock and stuff people will enjoy." One person who has enjoyed her style so far: Slash, who Twittered, "Alison [sic] didn't deserve to be voted off AI so soon, she has amazing potential."

It was a tough year for women competitors on Idol, but Iraheta tells RS she didn't feel too much added pressure. "Being the last girl standing is pretty cool. I felt pretty proud of myself for making it that far and really excited for what's coming up." And when fellow female contestant Lil Rounds exited the show, she gave Iraheta a final piece of advice: "She just told me, 'Don't let Simon get to you.' "

Tune in to Rock Daily tonight and tomorrow as Rob Sheffield live blogs the last two Idol episodes of the season.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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