Beyond her sweet, melodic vocals, American Idol contestant Hannah Harper has been a fan-favorite this season, thanks to her humble story as a stay-at-home mother of three.
If you haven’t been locked in on this year’s 24th season, then chances are you still might’ve seen Harper’s face pop up on your feed thanks to her mega viral song, “String Cheese.” Despite its silly name, the original track that gained Harper a golden ticket at the initial auditions is a deeply touching song based on her struggles with postpartum depression.
It had both viewers and judge Carrie Underwood shedding a few tears at the performance. Since then, the video has gained over 13.7 million views and over 2 million likes on TikTok alone, and the Missouri mom has continued to wow the stage with her covers of Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High On That Mountain” and Lee Ann Womack’s “A Little Past Little Rock.”
Harper was consistently one of the no-brainer picks for judges Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, sending her into the final Top 20 as the competition tightens up. Monday night’s March 16 episode returns to Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii at 8 pm ET/PT as the show wastes no time as it prepares to cut the contestant pool by 6 singers.
Ahead of her Ohana round performance, vying for a spot in the Top 14, Harper took to Instagram to answer a few questions from her newfound group of loyal supporters rooting for her across social media. Obviously, one of the main themes that reoccurred throughout the Q&A was how she continues to balance being a mama to three young boys while chasing this crazy dream of fame.
One user asked what every nosey fan has on their mind, “How is idol behind the scenes? Like what goes into preparing for the show’s performances?” Answering via Instagram stories while on a lengthy 9 hours of travel (presumably in between Idol tapings), Harper responded, “long hours of hurry up and wait. The hardest part for me is being cooped up in a room, not able to see my husband & babies.”
She emphasized what comes with this short-lived sacrifice to her dreams, adding, “I’m reminding myself it’s just temporary. That will NOT be our way of life outside of idol. I refuse…” Admirably, even if Harper does end up winning it all this season or likely moving on to an outside record deal later down the line, she has her priorities straight and is hoping to continue to find the perfect balance between her growing career and motherhood.
Expanding on this, Harper opened up about these struggles as another user asked, “What do you enjoy LEAST about your life right now?” To which she honestly responded, “Feeling pulled in too many directions. Some days I wish there were two of me — one who could chase every music dream God has placed in my heart and another who could stay home and just be the mama she once was.”
This quote reflects something many mothers experience, even beyond the pursuit of becoming a country music singer-songwriter superstar. Maintaining a sense of personal identity while also meeting the pressures of being a nurturing provider for your family can be incredibly challenging. Luckily, right now Harper is able to travel and experience this journey alongside her husband and kids, with her confirming that her three babies are currently enrolled in online schooling, saying, “It’s PERFECT for this season of our life.”
As Harper continues to flourish into a very promising career and stands out as an inspiration to dream-juggling mothers, supporting her to the next round of the season will look a bit different this year. Idol announced a few days ago that the voting process will be adding a social media option (along with online voting and text options). Which means that yes, if you @ American Idol on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you can comment on the pinned official voting post with the name of your choice artist.