Former American Idol champ Maddie Poppe dropped in on a fellow Idol winner last week (December 17), visiting The Kelly Clarkson Show to sing the classic “O Holy Night” — but in her hands, it was not the sleepy traditional ballad you remember.
From one Idol champ to another, Poppe proved her majestic pipes and stunning stage presence are still in winning form.
Shimmering in a silver miniskirt and with her dark hair pulled back in a power-pony, Poppe stood tall and confident on the TV stage, after being introduced by Clarkson as a member of an exclusive club. The 24-year-old won Season 16 of American Idol back in 2018 — the same season which featured Gabby Barrett and Poppe’s boyfriend, country singer Caleb Lee Hutchinson — and here she delivered a poised performance worthy of the win.
Unadorned and with little help from a keyboard and pedal steel, she delivered the deceptively difficult tune with just a few strums from an acoustic guitar, capturing the overwhelming emotional wonder of a timeless classic. With a stark-and-striking vibe, like a frozen winter night at the top of the world, her voice was both silky smooth but also complex, and a little behind the beat — almost like she was caught off guard by the miracle unfolding before her.
When she finished, the studio audience roared with impressed approval, and she’s likely been getting that reaction all over the nation. After recording “O Holy Night” as part of her appropriately titled Christmas At Home EP in 2020, Poppe took the tunes across her native Iowa on the Acoustic Christmas Tour. This year she’s expanded the run to feature dates across the nation, which is ongoing and will continue through New Year’s Eve. That includes a show at Nashville’s Basement East on December 28, and Poppe will then wrap the year with a return to Iowa alongside the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony. Full dates below.
Remaining dates on Maddie Poppe’s Acoustic Christmas Tour 2021:
Dec 22 @ The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries | St. Louis, MO
Dec 23 @ Ludlow Garage | Cincinnati, OH
Dec 28 @ The Basement East | Nashville, TN
Dec 31 @ Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center | Cedar Falls, IA