Carrie Underwood Breaks Down Over Idol Song About String Cheese

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Carrie Underwood was blown away by one contestant’s story.

Carrie, one of the judges on American Idol, was deeply moved by contestant Hannah Harper’s song, “String Cheese.” The song detailed Hannah’s personal struggles with postpartum depression, and it brought Carrie to tears.

As for the song’s backstory?

Hannah shared with the judges – Carrie, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie – that she was feeling down. She explained that, as a mother to boys, she was feeling overwhelmed and didn’t want to be touched. She described feeling sorry for herself and praying for peace of mind.

The mother of three explained, wiping away tears, that her son repeatedly asked her to open his cheese. She admitted she finally snapped and told him to leave her alone with it.

As Hannah peeled open her son’s string cheese, she suddenly realized that being a mother was her true purpose.

She explained that once she accepted her situation, she understood God had intentionally placed her there, and that being home was the most impactful way she could serve others.

After sharing the story behind the song with the judges, Hannah’s heartfelt performance was the final touch that brought Carrie to tears.

You know, people always ask if I regret not having a traditional career. I used to think a typical nine-to-five wouldn’t be for me, and honestly, I don’t regret that for a second! Life with little ones is… well, it’s beautifully chaotic. Toys everywhere, tiny people underfoot, and the constant sound of little cries – it’s a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t trade a single moment. My ‘work’ hours have definitely gotten longer since becoming a mom, but it’s the most fulfilling job I could ever ask for.

You know, I was really struck by Hannah’s songwriting. She beautifully captured that desire we all have for a little peace and quiet. But then she realized something so relatable – she wouldn’t trade the beautiful chaos of motherhood for anything. That image of ‘scattered toys and a baby on my hip’ really resonated with me, and I could tell Carrie felt that same way. It’s a reminder that the messy moments are often the most precious.

She realized she initially craved the calm of having space to herself, but now she’d give anything to feel needed again. She remembers when she felt overwhelmed, her children would come to her for simple things, like help opening a snack. Seeing their faces and taking care of them brought her joy and reminded her that being a mother is her true calling.

After Hannah finished singing, Carrie quickly blinked back tears and then told her how well she had done.

“I think that song is the most relatable I’ve ever heard,” she said. She then told the artist, “You might be my favorite person to ever come through those doors.” She is 42 years old and has two sons, Isaiah, 10, and Jacob, 7, with her husband, Mike Fisher.

As the team sent Carried through to the Hollywood round, she told the contestant, “You’re someone I’ll definitely remember. I’m really hoping you do well, and I honestly loved everything about your performance.”

As Hannah starts her run on American Idol, let’s check in and see what some former contestants are doing now.

Kelly Clarkson, mother to River and Remy, has achieved incredible success since her appearance on the first season of American Idol in 2002. The New York native has won three Grammy Awards, had three songs reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, served as a judge on NBC’s The Voice, and now hosts her popular and award-winning talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show.

The runner-up from season two of the show shared two important announcements in September 2008: the birth of his son, Parker, with his friend and music producer Jaymes Foster, and his own coming out. He explained on Good Morning America that he couldn’t teach his son to be dishonest or hide parts of himself. He also wanted to create an environment where his son could be his authentic self, no matter what.

Since then, this well-known performer has transitioned from music to politics, even running for Congress in 2016. After the election, he released a documentary detailing his life experiences. However, he hasn’t completely left music behind, recently touring with season two winner Ruben Studdard in 2023 and 2024.

Ruben, the winner of season two of Idol, went on to achieve success with a Grammy nomination and several hit albums. In 2013, he appeared as a contestant on The Biggest Loser, quickly becoming a popular choice with viewers. Although eliminated twice during the competition, he gained valuable insights from the experience. While he’s remained close with fellow Idol contestant Clay, Ruben found lasting love with his wife, Kristin, and they welcomed their second child in 2024.

The season three champion recently expressed gratitude for her entire life experience. In a December 2023 interview with TopMob News, she explained that life involves overcoming challenges: “You fall, you get back up.” Despite facing difficult times, she said it feels rewarding to have rebuilt her life twice.

Recently, she’s celebrated personal milestones like welcoming her daughter, Keziah, with husband Kendall Taylor in 2021, and receiving a Golden Globe nomination for her role in The Color Purple. The North Carolina native, who also has an adult daughter named Zion, shared that she wants to savor this moment, knowing how much hard work it took to achieve it.

Although she didn’t win season three of the competition, this musician has achieved incredible success! She won an Oscar for Dreamgirls in 2006 and a Grammy for her work in the 2017 adaptation of The Color Purple. She’s also been a judge on The Voice. Now, this mom to son David is launching her own talk show!

Carrie Underwood instantly became a pop culture icon when she appeared on Idol, and she went on to win season four. She’s since become one of country music’s biggest stars. For over a decade, she also co-hosted the CMA Awards with Brad Paisley. Balancing her successful music career and hosting duties, Carrie is also a mom to two sons with her husband, retired hockey player Mike Fisher.

Carrie Underwood will be joining the judging panel of American Idol in 2024, taking over for Katy Perry.

The former American Idol runner-up is now married with four children – three sons and a daughter. Though he faced significant health issues in 2006, he’s continued to release successful albums since appearing on the show.

Constantine, known for his powerful voice and memorable performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on season four of a singing competition, transitioned seamlessly to Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for his role in Rock of Ages. The father of daughter Malena, born in 2010, continued his stage career, most recently appearing in the 2023 production of Rock & Roll Man.

Following his win on season five, the singer’s album went platinum and he appeared in a Broadway production of Grease. In 2016, he transitioned to television, hosting State-Plate, a show centered around locally-sourced food. Despite his TV work, he still loves music and continues to perform in concerts.

Before Justin Bieber became a pop sensation, Katharine McPhee gained attention through her musical talent – a phenomenon sometimes called “McPheever.” This helped launch her career in both singing and acting, including roles in the TV shows Smash and Scorpion.

Married to music producer David Foster since 2019, Katharine is now a mother to her son, Rennie, who shows a natural aptitude for music. In a 2023 interview with TopMob News, she shared her hope that Rennie will become proficient in many instruments, just like his father. However, she emphasized that they are letting him explore his interests naturally, without pressure. She believes he’s already well on his way to developing a strong musical background.

Following his appearance on American Idol, season five finalist Elliott Yamin, known for his hit song “Wait for You,” traveled to Angola. There, he teamed up with former Idol judge Kara DioGuardi to support Malaria No More. In 2010, he also gained attention for surviving the earthquake in Chile and sharing his experience on Twitter. Elliott continues to create music and is a father to Camilla, with Karen Cruz.

Kellie Pickler gained recognition after placing sixth on the fifth season of American Idol. She later starred in the Hallmark movie Christmas in Graceland and received three Daytime Emmy nominations for her TV show, Pickler & Ben.

Following the tragic death of her husband, Kyle Jacobs, in February 2023, Kellie shared a valuable lesson he taught her. In difficult times, he advised simply “do nothing, just be still.” In a 2023 interview with People magazine, she stated she was choosing to follow his advice.

The winner of season six made a big impact in 2007 as the youngest female to ever win. She toured the country with 35 city stops, and then made her Broadway debut in 2010’s In the Heights. Her success continued when she and Dana Isaiah welcomed their first son in May 2018. Since then, she’s returned to Idol and competed on season 31 of Dancing With the Stars.

David, the season seven winner known for his hit song “Time of My Life,” has experienced success both on and off stage. In 2010, he traveled to Ethiopia with the United Nations to support their work empowering women. He also participated in the Race for Hope in Washington D.C., raising funds for brain cancer research in memory of his brother, Adam, who passed away in 2009. Married to Racheal Stump since 2015, David continues to tour and released his latest single, “TABOS,” in 2022.

As many of you know, I was runner-up on season seven of a singing competition. After that, I dedicated two years to serving a mission in Chile with my church. I’ve been happily performing ever since I returned in 2014.

On a more personal note, I came out as LGBTQ+ in June 2021, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience. I recently shared that learning to accept myself has been a beautiful journey, and my hope is that by living authentically, I can inspire others to do the same. It means the world to me to be able to share this part of my life with you all.

While Adam Lambert received a lot of attention as the runner-up, season eight’s winner has been steadily successful with his second album, also titled after himself. It came out in November 2009 and reached number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart. The single “I Need to Know” was even used in an episode of The Vampire Diaries. Recently, he’s also been focused on family, welcoming three children with his high school sweetheart, Katy O’Connell.

The runner-up from the eighth season of the show has truly become a major success story. Since appearing on the competition, he’s released multiple albums, toured extensively, and earned numerous award nominations. He’s even followed in the footsteps of Freddie Mercury by becoming the lead singer for Queen, and starred in a remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He also briefly served as a guest judge on Idol and kicked off the 2019 Oscars with a performance of Queen’s classic songs, “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.”

Danny Gokey married Leyicet Peralta in 2012, following his appearance on season eight of American Idol. They now have four children together.

Danny Gokey, a three-time Grammy nominee, released the Christian album Jesus People in 2021. He’s also the founder of Danny Gokey Eyewear, a brand selling glasses and sunglasses.

Following his appearance as a top 10 finalist on the summer tour in 2010, the season nine winner began his career as a solo musician. He married model and actress Jonna Walsh in 2012, after meeting her while filming the music video for his first song after Idol. Today, he’s a successful singer-songwriter, and his music has even been featured on shows like The Walking Dead.

The singer, who finished as a runner-up on season nine of a singing competition, married musician Brian Walker and released her debut album, Farmer’s Daughter, in December 2010. Although her record label closed down, she began acting, appearing on the second season of ABC’s Body of Proof.

In May 2013, she and her husband separated. Following their divorce, she described her second album, All That For This, as a fresh start and the next phase of her life in an interview with The Boot.

The winner of season 10 was the first American Idol champion since Ruben Studdard to have a debut album, Clear as Day, reach the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. He was recognized as New Artist of the Year at the 2011 American Country Awards and performed the national anthem at Game 1 of the World Series that year. In June 2018, the singer of hits like “This Is It” and “Five More Minutes” married his longtime partner, Gabi Dugal. They welcomed their son, Avery, in October 2022.

Though she finished as runner-up to Scotty on the singing competition, she quickly signed a record deal and released her first album, Wildflower, in October 2011. After the show, she shared the stage with Scotty at the CMT Music Awards, made her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, and even performed with Martina McBride at the CMA Music Festival.

In 2017, she received her first CMA nomination for Best New Artist thanks to the success of her album, Road Less Traveled. She also branched out into acting, starring in a movie with the same name.

More recently, the singer, known for her song “Thicc As Thieves,” announced her engagement to Cam Arnold while performing at the Grand Ole Opry in November 2022. They were married in February 2024.

Despite finishing in sixth place on season 10, this contestant became a fan favorite. He joined the Idols Live tour and recorded a cover of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with fellow finalist Haley Reinhart, with whom he was romantically linked. He eventually signed with the jazz label Concord. His first self-titled album came out in 2012, followed by I Put A Spell On You in 2018 and Jazz in 2019.

Jimmie Allen was eliminated before the live shows on season 10 of a singing competition, but he’s since become a successful country artist with two number-one hits: “Best Shot” (2018) and “Make Me Want To.” He also won the Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year in 2021.

In April 2023, Jimmie and his wife, Alexis Allen, announced they were expecting their third child while also ending their two-year marriage. Shortly after, Jimmie was accused of sexual assault and abuse by his former manager in a lawsuit. He admitted to infidelity and publicly apologized to Alexis for the affair, but denied the allegations of misconduct, claiming the relationship with his former manager was consensual.

After welcoming their son, Cohen Ace James, in September, the couple announced they were working to reconcile their marriage.

Following his victory on season 11, the musician’s song “Home” became a chart-topping hit and was also used as the theme song for NBC’s broadcast of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In 2015, he married Hannah Blackwell in a private ceremony with loved ones. They later had a son named Patch in 2019.

Before releasing her album Whirlwind in 2019 – a year after winning season 16 of Idol – the artist told TopMob News that the record features a diverse range of musical styles. She explained that she enjoys experimenting with different sounds and didn’t want to limit herself to just one particular genre.

Since finishing as a finalist on season 16 of the show, the singer has been busy creating new music and taking advantage of the opportunities that came with being on ABC. Caleb Lee told TopMob News that he’s always been passionate about music and becoming a performer, but the show taught him a lot about the entertainment industry. He even had the chance to join Luke Bryan on stage during Bryan’s final tour show and perform a song. Caleb’s newest album, Southern Galactic, was released in October 2023.

Following her third-place finish on season 16 of Idol, singer Gabby Barrett prioritized completing her album. She expressed her excitement about performing at Stagecoach and called touring with Brad Paisley a fantastic bonus. “It’s amazing to be touring with him,” she shared with TopMob News.

Gabby and her husband, Cade Foehner, also welcomed three children. Their daughter, Baylah, arrived nearly two years ago, followed by their son, Augustine, in October 2022. They expanded their family again in February 2024 with their third child.

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2026-02-04 00:49