To move anyone to tears with song is an incredible feeling. To do so to none other than Keke Palmer? That’s the stuff dreams are made of.
On the Monday (March 23) episode of American Idol, guest judge and mentor Palmer was visibly moved by a contestant’s rendition of “With a Little Help From My Friends” during a mentorship session.
“I’m a big fan of Keke,” said contestant Keyla Richardson before she sang. “To see myself in front of her, I’m like, ‘Mom, I made it!’”
Not long after, the feeling became mutual. After explaining to the singer-actress why this song was important to her, Richardson began to sing.
“Hearing her sing, I didn’t know what to expect,” said Palmer of Richardson’s performance in the session. “And when her voice came out, it was just awesome. It felt so truthful.”
As Richardson continued to sing the classic Beatles song — which reached No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1978 — Palmer began to tear up. Fellow guest mentor Brad Paisley, who worked alongside Palmer for the mentorship session, was also entranced by Richardson’s performance.
“She seemed like, ‘Oh, this is a perfect singer,’” said Paisley of the performance.
When Richardson concluded her song during the session, Palmer was speechless, wiping her tears away.
“Such a special voice,” Palmer said, her own voice breaking, before pulling Richardson in for a long embrace. “That voice was ancestral, girl. What you’re doing is more than just singing. You’re embodying spirit through song.”
Palmer wasn’t the only judge moved by Richardson’s cover. When it came time for the hopeful’s stage performance, all four judges were brought to their feet when the contestant began to sing. At one point, Lionel Richie was so excited by the showing that he stormed across the judges platform with a smile on his face and his hand in the air. Toward the end of Richardson’s performance, the judges were all giddy, holding on to one another and waving their hands in the air.
“Oh, that was great,” Paisley could be heard saying over the cheering of the audience.
Season 24 of American Idol airs every Monday 8 p.m. ET on ABC and is available for streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Watch Richardson’s full performance of “With a Little Help From My Friends” below.