Original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson had no idea fans would react so strongly to the emotional performance of her heart-breaking song “Piece by Piece” on the singing competition last week. The stripped down version of the song, interwoven with choked pauses from a very emotional and pregnant Kelly Clarkson, quickly went viral after the show.
Although the song is almost a year old, “Piece by Piece” quickly shot to number one on iTunes, prompting Kelly to decide to release the American Idol version as well. The new version of the track will also be included on the Piece by Piece Deluxe Album available on March 4, which features various remixes of songs from the original album.
We thought Kelly Clarkson’s most iconic American Idol appearances were far in her past during the first season of the series. Now, however, it seems that Kelly’s likely final performance ever on the show will be the one everyone will always think of as her most memorable. The gorgeous superstar, heavily pregnant with her second child, choked up and almost broke down in tears singing about her father’s abandonment, and how her husband, Brandon Blackstock, helped to put her life back together. The result was a genuine, emotional, and captivating performance of a lifetime.
Even the American Idol judges were so moved by Kelly’s song, they couldn’t hide their reactions. Keith Urban, who lost his own loving father late last year, was especially touched by the performance, weeping openly in response to Kelly’s song. Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest, and Harry Connick Jr. were also swept up in the moment, all of them visibly spellbound by the Grammy-award winning singer.
If you simply must have the American Idol version of “Piece by Piece,” as we did, you can download it now on iTunes!