Hannah Harper was crowned the winner of American Idol season 24 on Monday night, capping off a surprising – yet inevitable – journey to stardom.
Harper is the first female country music artist winner of American Idol since Carrie Underwood, now an American Idol judge, won the show in 2005.
“What a wild, beautiful journey this has been,” the 26-year-old mom of three boys wrote on social media. “And somehow we’re just getting started.”
“Thank you to every single person who believed in me, prayed over me, voted, and helped carry this dream farther than I ever could’ve imagined. Y’all changed my life.” Harper concluded quoting the Scripture verse Jeremiah 29:11.
Harper grew up traveling coast-to-coast in a bus with her family, singing in churches across the country.
She began her American Idol journey by auditioning with an original song, “String Cheese,” which she wrote about her struggle with postpartum depression after her youngest son was born. Her audition garnered over 120 million views and perhaps sealed her victory from the start.
“I was sitting on my couch wallowing,” Harper recalled for the judges during her audition, “I was just having a pity party and praying that the Lord would calm my spirit.”
“My son kept coming up to me saying, ‘Mom, open my cheese,’ and I’m just like, ‘Just leave me alone with the dadgum cheese,’” she said, adding,
“I realized that was exactly what I wanted,” she added, “and I kicked the postpartum depression in the butt and I said, ‘I ain’t doing it.’ And so, I wrote this song called ‘String Cheese.’”
The song helped her capture the support of moms nationwide who resonated with her story and inspiring message.
Harper reprised the song moments before her big win, which you can watch below:
Turning the night into a brief Christian music concert, the show’s runner-up, Jordan McCullough, reprised his audition by singing Bethel Music’s “Goodness of God.”
In an interview, Harper admitted that being on the show as a mom of three was very difficult, and she couldn’t have done it without her husband by her side.
“We’ve been here since March and my husband and my three kids have been out here the entire time,” Harper shared.
“My husband’s been living at a hotel with them doing life, homeschooling my kids, and it’s been hard because at the end of the day, most of the other contestants get to go home and chill and it’s like as soon as I walk in, I want to give as much as I give here to them.”
“My husband has made so many sacrifices for me to be able to do this and I can never repay that man,” she added.
After her win, Harper sang “At the Cross,” a song performed by Christian music artist Chris Tomlin.
You can watch Harper’s performance of “At the Cross” below:
Tomlin congratulated Harper on her win: “Huge congrats on winning American Idol… I love hearing you sing At The Cross!!!”
“Let’s sing it together sometime!” Tomlin suggested. “God bless you and your family in this next season of your life.”
Harper told The Christian Post in an interview earlier this year that she viewed her time on American Idol as a chance to share her faith.
“Getting to be this open about my relationship with the Lord on a platform like this is an incredible honor to me,” Harper shared, praising the faith of many of her fellow contestants.
“Every single day … we’ve been in a dressing room having Bible study,” she said. “The entire competition is scary, and there’s a lot of spiritual warfare … so it’s been really nice to have somebody like-minded.”
Harper is now preparing to embark upon the “String Cheese” tour with nearly two dozen dates already announced.
“I’m beyond thankful for the doors the Lord has opened and for the opportunity to walk this path,” Harper said. “I’ll see y’all on the road soon.”
Are you or a family member struggling with depression? To speak with a family help specialist or request resources, please call us at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
Focus on the Family offers a one-time counseling consultation with a licensed or pastoral counselor free of charge thanks to generous donor support. If you would like to request a consultation with Focus’ Counseling Department, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Mountain Time) or complete our Counseling Consultation Request Form.
Related articles and resources:
Counseling Consultation & Referrals
Embracing Hope in the Midst of Postpartum Depression
Rediscovering Your Joy in Motherhood
Embracing Your Version of Motherhood
Welcome to Mom Life Unscripted With Jodie and Friends
Building an Honest Prayer Life as a Mom
Meet Hannah Harper, Mom of Three and an ‘American Idol’ Star
Photo from YouTube.
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