‘American Idol’ judge Katy Perry picks rock song for MS country singer. ‘You’re a star.’

Two Mississippi men competing on “American Idol” garnered America’s vote Monday and are officially part of the Top 8.

The Judge’s Song Contest returned to the hit singing competition Monday night, where Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan all selected a song for each contestant to perform.

The singer would then make their choice without knowing who picked which song.

Richie and Bryan each chose country ballads for Colin Stough, but he strayed away from his Mississippi roots and performed “It’s Been Awhile” by Staind.

Perry stood to her feet for the teen’s performance and said she was elated he chose a song outside of his genre. Stough had success in a previous episode when he performed a gravely, country version of “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn.

“I’m not happy because I won,” she said. “I’m happy because you’re a star. You took yourself out of that box. You listened to your intuition.”

Bryan said Stough is uniquely himself and is “knocking himself out of the park.”

Richie wants Stough to let himself go. At the end of the performance, Stough screamed the last note and “scared himself to death,” Ricihe joked.

“More of that,” he told Stough.

Zachariah Smith, also of Amory, has been described by fans as the Adam Lambert of this season of “Idol.” He made it through to the Top 8 with his rendition of “Wanted Dead Or Alive” chosen by Richie.

You can watch of “American Idol” on Sundays and Mondays on ABC. The Top 8 perform on May 7.