Screwup Dooms Shawn Robinson In Duet With Elle King On 'American Idol'

That’s show business.

“American Idol” contestant Shawn Robinson teamed up with Elle King (“Ex’s & Oh’s”) in a Top 20 all-star duet on the singing competition show Sunday ― and their “Proud Mary” wasn’t exactly rollin’.

Whether it was due to a missed cue, a forgotten lyric or something else, the performance turned awkward in a hurry.

The obvious gaffe happened when Robinson appeared to draw a blank as he sang (fast forward to 2:10 below) ― but the stage may have been set for the flub earlier.

Near the start of the number, King walked onto the stage and repeated the “Left a good job in the city” verse that Robinson had already sung. The two skipped the “cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis” verse, perhaps leading to the clunky moment on the “if you come down to the river” sequence.

Robinson, a 22-year-old hardware store worker from Atlanta, said earlier it was not a song he would have chosen. A late decision to slow the tempo (suggested by King) may have hurt the pair as well.

Anyway, Robinson got eliminated ― but not without an encouraging tweet from judge Lionel Richie.