While many American Idol contestants choose well-known cover songs to impress the judges during auditions, Hannah Harper took a braver path. During the Feb. 2, 2026 episode of the show, the Missouri native performed an original song titled “String Cheese” and by the end of her audition, there were tears in the room, including from judge Carrie Underwood.
Dressed in a colorful homemade patchwork dress, Harper made an immediate impression even before she sang a note. A wife and mother of three young boys, she shared her deeply personal story with the judges, opening up about motherhood, faith, and her struggle with postpartum depression after the birth of her youngest son.
Before performing, Harper explained the meaning behind the song’s unexpected title. She recalled sitting on her couch feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained, while caring for a newborn. In that low moment, one of her older sons repeatedly asked her to open his string cheese.
“I was sitting on my couch wallowing,” she told the judges. “My son kept saying, ‘Mom, open my cheese.’ When I finally did, I realized God had put me right there. Being a mom was the biggest ministry I could ever have.”
That simple moment helped her push through postpartum depression and inspired her to write the song.
When Harper began to sing, the room fell silent. Her warm, honest voice carried lyrics that painted a vivid picture of real motherhood: reheated coffee, toys on the floor, exhaustion, love, and purpose. The song balanced humor and vulnerability, capturing both the chaos and the deep meaning of raising children.
Lines about wanting to cry, feeling overwhelmed, and still worrying about every need struck a chord, especially when she returned to the moment that inspired it all: a child climbing onto the couch asking, “Mama, can you open my string cheese?”
By the final note, Carrie Underwood was visibly emotional.
“Well, that’s about the most relatable song I think I’ve ever heard,” Underwood said through tears.
Underwood, herself a mom of two boys, had already connected with Harper before the performance. “You’re like my favorite person,” she told her. “You’re wearing homemade clothes. You’re singing songs called ‘String Cheese.’”
Harper also shared that she grew up in a musical family. From 2009 to 2016, she traveled and performed bluegrass and gospel music with her family band. After her father quit his job to pursue music full-time, the family lived on a bright red tour bus and performed coast to coast.
“It was a very unconventional upbringing,” Harper said, “but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
After returning to Missouri in 2016, she settled into family life. Now, she hopes American Idol can help her build a solo career—one that allows her to support her family while continuing to tell meaningful stories through music.
The judges were unanimous in their praise. Luke Bryan compared her sound to artists like Alison Krauss, Kacey Musgraves, and even Dolly Parton, while Lionel Richie highlighted her natural storytelling ability, encouraging her to follow Dolly’s example of blending honesty with uplift.