It’s ’90s Week on American Idol, and country fans were in for a treat from Hannah Harper.

Monday night’s episode of American Idol kicked off with the elimination of two hopefuls, leaving only 12 to participate in the popular Judges Song Contest episode. Each contestant was presented with three songs to choose from – one anonymously submitted by each of the judges. The show threw in a special twist this season, and every song was a ’90s hit.

The contestants chose which of the three songs they wanted to perform, keeping in mind that fans would be voting throughout the episode, and another elimination would take place after the final performance. In another twist, the judge who had the most songs chosen would get to save a contestant from elimination at the end of the episode.

As part of the ’90s Week theme, some of the stars of ABC’s “TGIF” lineup made guest appearances, including Andrea Barber from Full House, Mark Curry from Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, Danielle Fishel of Boy Meets World, Danica McKellar from The Wonder Years, and Reginald VelJohnson of Family Matters.

Hannah Harper Brings the Party with "Heads Carolina, Tails California" –  American Idol 2026

Hannah Harper once again delivered a performance that has everyone talking.

Following last week’s show, Hannah Harper was presented with the ’90s hits she could choose from. Her options were “Heads Carolina, Tails California” by JoDee Messina, “Unbreak My Heart” by Toni Braxton, and “Only Love” by Wynonna.

The mom of three from Missouri chose to cover JoDee Messina, saying that it was a full-circle moment since it was the song she sang for her first Idol audition. She teased the performance ahead of time with a post on social media, saying: “Tonight’s the night!! It’s 90’s Week and Judges’ Pick… Which 90’s country hit do you think I’m singing tonight? And more importantly… which judge do you think picked it for me? I’ll give you a hint…we’re flipping a coin to decide where we’re headed.”

Fans were quick to catch on that she would be covering JoDee Messina’s 1996 breakout hit, “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” And her performance did not disappoint.

Throughout the season, Harper has been compared to some legendary women of country, like Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, and Lee Ann Womack. Week after week she has received nothing but praise from the judges, a surge in social media followers, and more video views than any other contestant this season.

“That’s what happens when you get the perfect voice with the perfect song and there’s just magic happenin’ all on that stage,” Carrie Underwood told Hannah after revealing that she was the judge who had picked the song. “You sounded so great … I feel like Hannah’s starting to come out of her shell a little bit.”

“I’m glad Carrie picked that for you to get a little more up tempo … great song choice,” Luke said.

Lionel agreed, and praised Hannah for “stepping into it and making it yours.”

Was Hannah’s performance enough to keep her in the competition? Check out the video of her singing “Heads Carolina, Tails California” in the video below