Maybe she's a bit biased because the judges on "American Idol" have been visibly charmed by her antics since day one, but finalist [article id="1656888"]Lauren Alaina[/article] thinks Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez are doing a fine job in their first attempt at working together on the show.

"I think the judges do exactly what they're there to do," said the 16-year-old teen phenom when MTV News caught up with her and the rest of the "Idol" top 13 at Thursday night's celebration of this year's top singers. "When they need to be harsh, they're harsh. I know that sounds crazy, but ... they don't sugar coat it, most of the time. When they need to say something, they're gonna say it. Which is great, because it makes you stronger."

Alaina, who has gotten a lot of attention (both positive and negative) for her flirtatious attitude with the judges -- especially Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler -- said she's not going to let the online chatter throw her off her game.

"I'm just gonna try to be myself," she said. "Everybody talks about my crazy personality, [but] hopefully my voice is good enough to back that up. But I'm just gonna be myself, that's all I can be."

Alaina will get another chance to be herself on Wednesday, when the top 13 take the stage for the first round of live performance and results shows and get a taste of the pressure that comes with singing on live TV every week.

Don't miss [article id="1658897"]"Idol Party Live"[/article] at 10 p.m. Thursday on MTV.com, following the "American Idol" results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke -- get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' [article id="1486475"]"American Idol" page[/article], where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.