▁by ▁Cy nd i ▁Lau per . ▁Smith son ▁returned ▁to ▁Id ol ▁during ▁its ▁e ighth ▁season , ▁as ▁a ▁ment or ▁to ▁contest ants ▁taking ▁part ▁in ▁Boot ▁Camp ▁Training ▁during ▁" Hol lywood ▁Week ," ▁although ▁this ▁foot age ▁did ▁not ▁appear ▁on ▁the ▁show . ▁Later , ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁live ▁semi - final s ▁results ▁show , ▁Smith son ▁and ▁fellow ▁season ▁ 7 ▁contest ant ▁Michael ▁Joh ns ▁performed ▁" The ▁Let ter ," ▁a ▁song ▁they ▁had ▁also ▁performed ▁for ▁the ▁Id ol ▁Finale ▁the ▁previous ▁season . ▁She ▁also ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁season ▁ 8 ▁Grand ▁Finale , ▁where ▁she ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁correspond ent ▁covering ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁celebr ation ▁in ▁San ▁Diego , ▁Adam ▁Lam bert ' s ▁h omet own . ▁ ▁Two ▁of ▁Smith son ' s ▁own ▁original ▁songs , ▁titled ▁" Let ▁Me ▁Fall " ▁and ▁" L ay ▁with ▁Me ," ▁were ▁featured ▁in ▁an ▁LA ▁Times ▁Inter view ▁video ▁of ▁Car ly ▁recording ▁songs ▁for ▁her ▁post - Id ol ▁album . ▁In ▁the ▁interview , ▁Smith son ▁revealed ▁that ▁" pop ▁rock " ▁was ▁the ▁sound ▁she ▁had ▁chosen ▁and ▁explained ▁" I ▁don ' t ▁want ▁to ▁go ▁too ▁hard ▁rock ▁or ▁too ▁pop ." ▁Smith son ▁was ▁putting ▁the ▁finishing ▁touch es ▁on ▁the ▁album ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁that ▁she ▁would ▁be ▁joining