American Idol's Hannah Harper stole the nation's hearts with her audition. The mom of three chose to sing an original song called "String Cheese" during her audition. She had written the track following the birth of her third child, while she was navigating postpartum depression.
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However, Hannah was initially met with some resistance when she informed those on set that she had planned to sign an original song.
"They told me to prepare backup because the judges don't love to hear originals," Hannah said during an interview with TV Insider. "They want to hear something that they're familiar with, that they've heard before. So I had a backup planned and never had to use it. I was really thankful."
To make matters worse, Hannah chose a song by Jake Worthington as her backup, only to find out not many people knew the track.
The backup was a song by Jake Worthington, Hannah said. "I'm glad I didn't sing [it] because no one knew it," she added. "So it would be the same as singing an original. So I was glad I just went and sang my own song."
Ultimately, Hannah pressed ahead with singing her own song, and it quickly paid off. Not only did her audition go viral, it also impressed the judges, most notably Carrie Underwood.
Carrie Underwood Cried at Hannah Harper's 'American Idol' Audition
The clip of Hannah's audition that went viral also showed Carrie Underwood's heartfelt reaction to the song. She could be seen shedding a tear as Hannah stopped singing and awaited feedback.
"Well that's just about the most relatable song I've ever heard," Underwood said.
Later in the show, both Carrie and Hannah sang a duet, which was undoubtedly a high point of Hannah's experience.
However, she also seemed to embrace the opportunity to share her journey through postpartum. She detailed those struggles during her audition.
"I have three little boys. After I had my youngest, I had postpartum depression," Hannah said. "I remember being on the couch. They were all crying at the same time. All I wanted was to be a mom, and I couldn't do it. I was praying that the Lord would calm my spirit. I got up off my couch and I wrote this song."
Hannah didn't wind up winning American Idol this season. However, given her abilty to sing, write and perform she likely has an exciting career ahead.
