As a mother of three took the stage and poured her heart into a song about exhaustion, sacrifice, and holding it all together, the emotion hit instantly. Cameras caught Carrie quietly wiping her eyes with a tissue — a rare, unguarded moment. After the performance, Underwood explained why it broke through her so deeply. She called it “the most relatable song” she’d ever heard, admitting it mirrored her own life in ways she wasn’t prepared for. It wasn’t just about the vocals — it was about being seen. The room felt different. The judges were silent. And viewers at home felt it too.
Carrie Underwood wiped away tears with a tissue after watching Hannah Harper’s audition for of American Idol. In TV Insider’s exclusive sneak peek from Season 24, Underwood explained why she got so emotional.
“Well, that’s about the most relatable song I’ve ever heard,” she said, through tears. Hannah sang about being a mother to her three sons, and the clip features her belting the lyrics, “To those days I wanna cry, being their mama is who I’m meant to be.”
Before hitting the audition room to sing. Hannah opened up about some struggles she faced as a mother. “I have three little boys and after I had my youngest, I had postpartum depression,” she shared. “I remember being on the couch, they were all crying at the same time.”
Hannah recalled wanting to be a mom so badly, but feeling like she “couldn’t do it.” She added, “I was praying the Lord would calm my spirit. I got up off the couch and I wrote this song.” Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan also looked moved as they watched her sing.
It was Underwood, though, who was truly able to relate to what Hannah was singing about. Underwood is also a mother. She shares two sons with husband Mike Fisher.
After giving birth to her second son in 2019, Underwood opened up about her own postpartum struggles. “I’ve been pretty hard on myself lately,” she admitted in an Instagram post, which included selfies from the gym. “I go into the gym and I can’t run as fast or as far. I can’t lift as much weight or do as many reps as I could a year ago. I just want to feel like myself again…for my body to feel the way that I know it can.”