Hannah Harper Nails Lee Ann Womack Cover, Advances to Golden Room on 'American Idol'
Hannah Harper delivered a stirring cover of a lee ann womack hit during Hollywood Week, earning high praise from the judges and securing a place in the golden room — a crucial step toward the show’s Top 30.
Heartfelt performance at Belmont’s Fisher Center
Harper, a 25-year-old stay-at-home mom, took the stage inside The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University and “nailed” the Lee Ann Womack cover that judges singled out. Her Hollywood Week performance followed a viral original audition, and the judges’ reaction moved the competition forward for her: she advanced to the golden room, moving one step closer to the Top 30.
Lee Ann Womack cover pushed Harper closer to Top 30
The cover arrived after Harper’s original audition for the show drew massive attention online. The audition clip of her singing “String Cheese, ” a song she wrote about postpartum depression, has racked up over 10 million views and prompted an emotional reaction from judge Carrie Underwood. Harper’s original then climbed the Country Digital Song Sales chart, debuting at No. 14 with more than 1, 000 units sold and even placed above a well-known children’s song on the Children’s Music iTunes chart.
Onstage at Belmont, Harper spoke about her motivation before singing: “I want to be the next American Idol because I want to be the forerunners for mamas out there who can still raise babies and pursue their dreams. ” That line connected directly to her audition story — she returned to the show with the Lee Ann Womack cover during Hollywood Week in Music City and secured the judges’ votes that sent her to the golden room.
From viral audition to Hollywood Week momentum
Harper’s rise on the series has been anchored by concrete milestones: the viral “String Cheese” audition that reached millions, a notable chart debut with over 1, 000 units sold, and now an advance through Hollywood Week after the Lee Ann Womack cover. The judges’ praise after her Belmont performance capped a sequence that has already shifted Harper from a local contestant to a nationally noticed artist on the competition stage.
Her audition’s impact continued beyond the show when other mothers used “String Cheese” in social media posts and when fellow artists engaged with the song on platforms; that engagement helped drive the song’s chart placement and wider awareness.
Harper will next face the golden room round, the confirmed next stage on the show’s path to the Top 30. Success there will determine whether she advances further in the competition and remains in contention for the season’s final rounds.
