Kelly Clarkson brings out fellow ‘American Idol’ alum at her Las Vegas show — and you can’t guess who
Kelly Clarkson had a surprise background vocalist at her recent Las Vegas concert. Her Las Vegas residency delivered a nostalgic moment for ‘American Idol’ fans. Mid-performance, Clarkson gave a heartfelt shoutout to her background vocalist, none other than ‘American Idol’ Season 8 finalist Allison Iraheta. Iraheta, a fiery red-haired rocker, was just 16 when she competed on the show. Her ‘American Idol’ journey clearly paid off, she’s now touring with the queen of the franchise herself.
Clarkson, who won the show’s very first season, became the blueprint for future contestants. She didn’t just win with her voice; she also captured America’s heart with her charm. Clarkson proudly introduced Iraheta onstage, leading to a heartwarming moment. “We're both Idol kids!” Clarkson said. "I keep forgetting that we've been working together for so long, and I keep forgetting about us little babies. We made it,” she said as she went in for a warm hug. The two jumped up and down, celebrating how far they’d come since their ‘American Idol’ days.
"We don't have to wait tables anymore," she joked. Clarkson then shared how she first discovered Iraheta, thanks to her mom. She revealed that it was her mother who urged her to watch Iraheta’s season, and she religiously followed. She was instantly drawn to the young finalist’s talent. "It's an incredible thing to love an artist so much and be so inspired by someone," she gushed. "Nothing is promised in this industry. And so it worked out, b*tch!" she added.
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A historical moment was created when Iraheta stepped on the stage and performed one of Clarkson’s hit songs. She sang a powerful rendition of ‘Didn't I’ and got the crowd cheering, as reported by AOL. ‘American Idol’ champ's sweet words for Iraheta went viral on TikTok. Speaking to Country Living, Clarkson revealed what she wanted to do differently this time around in her Las Vegas residency. “I wanted to do something different,” she shared. “I just really loved being in the studio while creating ‘Where Have You Been’, which is the latest single,” she added.
“I just really love those moments of being in the studio and getting to hear the music live,” she admitted. The ‘Since You Been Gone’ singer revealed that performing at the residency was fun because it was completely live and she got to enjoy and soak in every beat in the room. “It's a different vibe that you get when there are no tracks playing at all. Like, obviously, my band and I are always live, but you know, sometimes we have to fill out the sound,” she explained. “I didn't want any extra tracks going on, any kind of extra sound. I wanted it all to be live and organic,” she added.