MANILA, Philippines - This season's "American Idol" has been tough for the girls, particularly for tattooed Irish belter Carly Smithson.

The Dublin-born singer with the Celine Dion and Heart-esque vibe struggled to please the judges, who seemed to have set the standard higher for her than for any other contestant.

"I was trying to beat myself every week to be better and better and better [even if] I felt that I... gave [every performance] everything I had," Smithson told the international media during a teleconference arranged by Star World.

Controversy

"I don't think the judges liked the pop-rock idea I have about myself," she said. "They want us to be stars, but I come from a bar and I have no idea how a star is really supposed to act."

The 24-year-old bartender from San Diego, California, entered the competition hounded by controversy over her previous experience in the music biz. Under MCA Records in 2001, the former Carly Hennessy released the debut album "Ultimate High," which flopped.

Asked if she considered "Idol" her second shot at a music career, Smithson said: "I'm not sure I even had a first chance. The album was never promoted. It just crashed beneath my feet when the record label imploded... I ended up back in Ireland with just a weird situation."

When other attempts to break into the industry failed, Smithson took a hiatus from professional singing and moved to Georgia. "I just wanted to [learn to] love [the music industry] again because... it was something so out of my reach for so long," said the singer-songwriter.

Working at the Irish pub Fado in Atlanta, where Top 10 finalist Michael Johns also used to sing, led Smithson to rediscover her love of performing.

"Michael Johns used to be the singing entertainer and... I was just the waitress," recalled Smithson. "We didn't work at the pub at exactly the same time, but it was funny for [the people at Fado] to watch ["Idol"]. I kept so quiet that I sang again only when I got to San Diego and they needed an act for New Year's Eve."

Expired luck

Smithson realized how much she missed music when she put together the band for that holiday gig. "We just had such fun that night that I [felt] the need to do it again."

Her Irish luck ran out during her first "Idol" audition in 2005, when she got disqualified because her visa expired. She made a comeback this season, three years after marrying tattoo artist Todd Smithson.

Comparisons to "American Idol" first season winner Kelly Clarkson and rave reviews on her vocals could not save Smithson from being a casualty of popularity votes. "I started out on the show with some bad press, and I don't think it really helped me that much since, early on, people accumulate their fan base," she explained.

Women power

"Women vote for this show, too, and they vote for the boys, who are adorable. The girls had more of a struggle this year with trying to get the popularity vote."

Inside the "Idol" circle, however, Smithson was no less popular to the other finalists who look to her as their camp counselor. She recounted, "I was always there drying everyone's eyes and saying 'you've got to pull yourself together, it's your moment.'"

The upbeat Smithson believed landing sixth place was no reason to be miserable. "Anywhere after Top 10 is just a bonus," she pointed out. "I made enough of an impact to reach a good fan base and now I get to be just me-without a theme night-and make a really cool record."

Before returning for the "Idol" tour and finale, she plans to go home for a two-week break with her family.

"I will work very hard and grab this opportunity by the horns, but I'm not going to change," said Smithson. "I still crave the things I used to do, simple things like my pots and pans."

"American Idol" airs Wednesday and Thursday, 6 p.m., live on Star World and QTV, with same-day replays at 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Star World.