LOS ANGELES — Lauren Alaina was anything but flat on “American Idol.”

The soaring 16-year-old songstress of Rossville, Ga., impressed the Fox talent competition’s judges with both her performances on Wednesday’s serving of current and classic songs. An energized Alaina first strutted to Carrie Underwood’s “Flat on the Floor” before delivering a surprisingly elegant take on The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.”

“This girl can sing like a bird,” proclaimed Randy Jackson.

James Durbin, the wailing 22-year-old rocker of Santa Cruz., Calif., who was proclaimed the contest’s front-runner last week, again wowed the panel with his choices. He blasted off at the beginning of the show with 30 Seconds to Mars’ “Closer to the Edge” and later landed an emotional rendition of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” which brought him to tears.