Michael Becker / FOXSo, The Fight went down on American Idol last night.
Judging by the morning-after reactions, viewers may have been a little disappointed by the reality, which was that Nicki Minaj appeared rather ticked off at all of her fellow judges and not just Mariah Carey when she stormed off the set during auditions in Charlotte, N.C.
But even though the reality didn't live up to the hype, all eyes were on the explosive Minaj when the show picked up Thursday with auditions in Baton Rouge, La.
And even though she did ask one 17-year-old boy whether he had hit puberty yet, the outspoken rapper didn't say anything to Mimi that seemed to further the feud.
Meanwhile, the sweet young man on the receiving end of the puberty question was Charlie Askew, a self-described "socially awkward" student who expresses himself best through music.
"Your tone is not of a gender, like Bowie or something," marveled Keith Urban after Charlie silenced the judges (as much as he could) with Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy."
"First of all, I can identify with you," Mariah said."I wasn't really a shy person but I can identify with you using music for escapism."
Advised not to stray from his uniqueness when he arrives in Hollywood, Charlie said, simply, "Count on it, I can't be anyone but myself."
One to watch out for (and hope he can manage the pressure of Hollywood week)!
The judges also appreciated the swoon-worthy stylings of Dr. Calvin Peters, who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation at a veterans' hospital, and fireman Dustin Watts, who certainly could save a few days with his voice.
Other aspiring stars to keep track of in the next round: Megan Miller, 22; Maddie Assel, 17; Paul Jolley, 22; Michelle Montezeri, 19; Breanna Steer, 18; Brandy Hotard, 26; and Burnell Taylor, 19.
Burnell threw the judges for a sec when he announced he was going to sing "I'm Here" from The Color Purple musical, but...
"Burnell made me cry," Mariah raved. "I feel like we've been flying around this country for that," added Nicki. "Somewhere there's a spotlight right now waiting for you to walk into it," noted Keith. "Amazing voice," concluded Randy Jackson.
Looks like all was well down on the bayou tonight.