The new season of American Idol premiered on ABC Monday evening, and while the two-hour episode was filled with so much incredible talent, the final audition of the night stood out as the most moving moment yet.
When 15-year-old Khloe Grace performed an original song inspired by another young girl lost too early to suicide, the judges were not only blown away by her talent, but also her ability to create such a raw and moving story.
Before Khloe made her appearance in the room, a woman named Heather appeared in front of Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan and opened up about losing her 13-year-old daughter Aubreigh Wyatt to suicide in 2023. Heather told them she was not a contestant but instead was there to introduce the young girl who wrote a song in honor of her daughter who had taken her life after experiencing online bullying.
“Aubrey is my forever 13-year-old daughter. She is bright, beautiful, talented, and she endured years of bullying, social media pressures, and took her life September 4th, 2023. Just very unexpected,” she explained.
The heartbroken mother went on to share that she first heard Chloe’s original song titled “Forever 13” a year ago and “immediately cried.”
@khloegracemusic I wrote this song in Honor of Aubreigh Wyatt to bring awareness to her story🩷 Aubreigh Wyatt was a 13 year old girl who sadly lost her life due to bullying🤍 Her story really touched me and I hope this song helps others facing the same thing that Aubreigh did🩷 This song is called (Forever 13🩷) PLEASE SHARE AND TAG HEATHER WYATT🫶 #Forever13 #LLA #LLAW #Livelikeaubreigh #livelikeaubreighwyatt #aubreighwyatt💜🕊️ #Aubreighwyatt #aubreighwyattfoundation #mentalhealth #pink #Bullying #youbelonghere #youmatter #bekind #antibullying #sayhername #stopbulling #originalmusic #originalsong #singersongwriter #insperationalsong #pleasestay #justiceforaubreigh #justiceforaubreighwyatt @heatherwyatt
“It was beautiful,” she added. “It was what Aubrey had gone through.”
Chloe told the show’s host Ryan Seacrest that she never met Aubrey, but having experienced bullying herself, she felt compelled to write the song. Until Khloe walked into the audition room, she and Heather had never met, making their first hug an incredibly emotional and deeply personal moment.
“This means the world to me, you don’t even know,” the young girl from Jacksonville, FL told Heather.
She then turned to the judges and opened up about her story and how Aubrey’s death led her to write such a powerful song.
“I’d went through some of the things that Aubrey had went through, and it was really hard, so I was like, if I could write something that could just very small help someone, then it’s totally worth me writing this song.”
Underwood told her, “Music is very powerful and it can help let people know that they’re not alone. So we’re excited to hear the song.”
With her guitar in hand, Khloe let her voice fill the room with a soft but steady sound as she sang about the devastating impact of bullying, telling Aubreigh Wyatt’s story with a maturity far beyond her 15 years. She allowed the weight of her words do the work, painting a picture of stolen dreams, grief, and the lasting scars left behind. Her performance left the room visibly moved as she honored a life gone too soon.
Both Heather and the judges had tear-filled reactions as Khloe sang the emotional lyrics, “She was only 13/ Had some big dreams and you took them all the way/ She had her whole life ahead of her and you watched her drift away/ You never thought that what you said could mess up someone else’s head/ But maybe you think now that she’s gone/ A young girl had to lose her life so that you could feel somewhat satisfied/ In this sick and twisted world, you wouldn’t think that a few young girls could do any harm/ But look where we’re now/ She’s dancing up in heaven with no tears, no worry, no weight on her shoulders today.”
The song also went on to touch on the pain that Heather must be feeling after facing such an unexpected tragedy.
“I’ve never felt that kind of pain, but I can’t imagine how it feels/ To be a mom to lose her daughter/ It must feel so surreal/ How can she be gone/ She blames herself for doing wrong, but I hope that she knows it ain’t her fault/ Even though she’s gone/ Her story will forever live on/ And I’m going to say her name/ Because no one deserves that kind of pain/ Forever 13 had some big dreams and you took them all away,” Khloe continued in the tune.
As the final note faded, the room fell silent before the judges shared heartfelt reactions to Khloe’s powerful performance.
Lionel Richie told her, “I’m just so moved. Heather, that’s a gift right there. That’s God looking back at you. It’s just a very moving moment.”
“I feel like the maturity that you possess is quite incredible,” Underwood said before pausing to choke back tears. “The way you had your heart broken or someone you didn’t even know, and take that and basically say that something positive is going to come out of it, and to potentially even think about all the people that hear that and see you and hear this story and maybe decide to change their mind about something. It’s pretty incredible.”
Luke Bryan praised her heart and her songwriting before offering a strong “yes” to move her forward in the competition.
“The fact that she wrote about what you were going through, not knowing you, shows a potential in you as a singer and a songwriter and someone that can really do a lot of good in this world. I’m a yes.”
Without a moment of hesitation, Underwood and Richie followed suit, earning Khloe Grace a golden ticket.
The performance concluded the first round of auditions for the ninth season on ABC and Hulu and 24th overall. The American Idol journey continues every Monday night at 8/7c.
