Hannah Harper Brings Appalachian Gospel Performance To “Idol” Top 20

Hannah Harper brought a gospel performance to the American Idol stage.

During night one of the Top 20 round that aired on Monday (March 16), Brad Paisley and Keke Palmer were on hand to mentor the remaining contestants. The round was filmed at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i. Many of the hopefuls’ families were in attendance to cheer for their loved ones.

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The round also marks the first time this season that viewers will have a say in the contestants’ fate.

Hannah chose to perform “Ain’t No Grave,” a spiritual first recorded and released by Bethel Music and Molly Skaggs in 2019. If Molly’s name sounds famliar it’s because she is the daughter of country/bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs. Not only did Molly record the song, but she’s also credited as a songwriter.

In speaking about the song at the time of its release, Skaggs addressed the song’s inspiration and how it “married” the classic chorus of the song of the same name with Molly’s “personal testimony of overcoming fear and shame.”

“For me, this song is steeped in the reality of Jesus and what He has done for me and my community. This is an anthem for anyone who is ready to follow Jesus and walk out of the graves in their daily life,” Skaggs said of the song. “‘Ain’t No Grave’ is a testimony of faith, a song for those who are ready to shake off the victim mentality and stand up in the truth of who they really are.”

Hannah Harper’s vocals were the perfect fit for the song. The judges praised her performance, saying:

“When you can actually be the storyteller, and then sometimes in the middle of that performance you went from singing to preaching,” Lionel Richie said. “We’re listening. You got our attention. You did a great job.”

Guest panelist Keke Palmer said Harper’s performance was “excellent” and “very moving.”

Luke Bryan joked that Hannah started a new genre called Resurrection Rock. “I loved the whole performance. I think your voice is so listenable. It’s so easy on the ears. And then finally we see you get a little more power behind that voice. You’re showing me that you’re ready to branch out and grow. Definitely my favorite performance I’ve seen you do.”

Carrie Underwood agreed, saying, “Your voice gave me chills the entire time. We got a glimpse of a fire that is in you … you remind me a lot of myself when I was on the show.”

Watch Hannah Harper’s performance in the video below:

How To Vote For Your American Idol Favorite

So far this season, the fate of the contestants has solely been in the hands of the judges: Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. But on Monday night, the responsibility of choosing the next American Idol was handed over to fans.

And for the first time in the show’s history, a new voting method was introduced via social media. In addition to text and website voting, viewers can vote on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. During the episode, a pinned voting post will be shared on each social media platform. Viewers can vote by commenting the first name of the contestant being voted for under the post. Only one name can be posted in each comment, and each fan can vote 10 times on each platform.

You can vote for your favorite Idol hopeful online at AmericanIdol.com/Vote or by texting your favorite performer’s designated contestant number to 21523.

1 – Makiya
2 – Jake Thistle
3 – Geneveive Heyward
4 – Daniel Stallworth
5 – Kyndal
6 – Kutter Bradley
7 – Jesse Findling
8 – Hannah Harper
9 – Braden Rumsfelt
10 – Brooks