Kellie Pickler: 'DWTS' jazz routine performance well received

Kellie Pickler 'DWTS': Kellie Pickler and her partner Derek Hough on 'DWTS' ended up second in overall scoring after she and Hough performed a jazz number set to Ellie Goulding's 'Lights.' Kellie Pickler had initially expressed trepidation about appearing on 'DWTS' but has done well so far in the competition.

On the newest “Dancing with the Stars” episode, contestant Kellie Pickler and her partner Derek Hough performed a jazz routine that seemed to win over the judges and put Pickler and Hough in second place among the contestants.

The dance was set to the song “Lights” by Ellie Goulding and the set included thin green lights that glowed behind the couple as they performed the routine.

Because there wasn’t an elimination round during the first week of competition, contestants currently hold a score out of 60 rather than the usual 30, combining the scores of the first two weeks. Pickler and Hough currently stand at 47 out of 60, behind Disney Channel star Zendaya and her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy, who hold a score of 50 out of 60. However, the two couples earned the same score for the second night with 26 out of 30. 

“For week two, last week was a spark,” judge Len Goodman said to Pickler and Hough. “This is a fire. Well done.”

Reviewers of the TV show seemed impressed with Pickler’s performance as well.

“Former 'American Idol' contender-turned-country star Kellie Pickler wowed with a thrilling, futuristic jazz number,” Access Hollywood wrote in its recap of the show.

Pickler said in an interview that she’s feeling more comfortable on the show after initially expressing trepidation.

“People are expecting me to be good, and I don’t know if I am or not,” she had said in an interview, according to Wetpaint. “I hope people don’t have too high of expectations for me, because I’m not a dancer.”

But in an interview with On the Red Carpet, a website produced by ABC News, Pickler said she now felt more at ease.

“I mean, last week was the first show – so overwhelming,” she said. “But I don’t know, I'm still running on adrenaline. I'm very happy… I'm very thankful… We gotta bring it next week, big time.”

Hough spoke positively of his partner in an interview with the website.

“I want her to be sensational because she has the capacity to be fantastic,” he said of Pickler.

One of the pairs will be eliminated tonight in the newest “Dancing with the Stars” episode.