When Kelly Clarkson took the stage to perform on “American Idol” back in 2017, judge Keith Urban certainly was not expecting to break down in tears. As soon as Clarkson began to sing, however, he could not help but well up with emotion. Clarkson brought her powerful vocals to a poignant song she co-wrote highlighting the damage and pain her father caused in her childhood.

Clarkson won the inaugural season of “American Idol” in 2002, so returning to the stage to sing was a full circle moment for her.

Many members of the audience were in tears because of raw emotion behind Clarkson’s voice, and Urban himself could not hold back his tears as well. Though he has been to countless concerts in his life, this performance moved Urban in a way that few have before.

The song Clarkson was performing was called “Piece By Piece,” and she had co-written it herself with Greg Kurstin. The song was written from Clarkson’s own personal experiences, which makes performing it even more emotional for her. Watching her sing it, everyone can tell how important the lyrics are to her!

Moments into the song, Clarkson became so overwhelmed with emotion that she had to stop singing, apologizing to the audience as she did so. It was only when they started to cheer her on that she found the strength to continue on!

Social media users were also incredibly touched by her performance.

“Wow that was quite something!!!Love her!One if the best live performances ever,” one user commented, with another adding, “I cry everytime I watch it!!!”

Check out Clarkson’s tear-jerking performance below.