Get ready to feel your heart break wide open. When Samantha Ray took the American Idol stage to sing “I Hope You Dance,” it wasn’t just a performance—it was a love letter to her late sister, Taylor, who passed away just months before. The raw emotion in her voice left Carrie Underwood struggling to speak through tears, barely able to find the words. After a deep breath, Carrie finally said, “That was really special.” And she wasn’t the only one reaching for tissues—by the time Samantha finished, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

American Idol Contestant Samantha Ray Remembers Her Sister, Taylor, With Cover Of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance”

Samantha Ray held her sister, Taylor, in her heart while singing “I Hope You Dance” for her American Idol audition.

Samantha said she and her sister grew up watching American Idol. Both girls enjoyed singing as kids, and they loved singing together.

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They were huge fans of Carrie Underwood, who won American Idol‘s fourth season in 2005. Now, Carrie is a judge for Idol‘s 23rd season, which 22-year-old Samantha auditioned for. Idol shared a video of her audition online before it aired on TV.

Before strolling into the audition room, Samantha said impressing Carrie was “the top of the line” for her. As you’ll soon see when you watch her audition, she accomplished that goal.

Samantha told the judges she’d be performing a cover of Lee Ann Womack‘s “I Hope You Dance.” Lee Ann released “I Hope You Dance” in 2000, and its songwriters won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2001.

Womack was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance that year.

Singing “I Hope You Dance,” and singing it well, is no small feat. But Samantha rose to the occasion and delivered a performance that was equal parts powerful and heartfelt.

Carrie and her fellow judges, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, appeared misty-eyed as they listened to Samantha sing. They could tell that she poured herself into the song and wondered what she was thinking about at that moment.

When Luke asked what was on her mind, Samantha said she was thinking of her sister. Sadly, Taylor passed away a few months prior, leaving behind her two sons.

“…losing her hurts a lot, because she was a year younger than me, [and] we were very close,” Samantha said. She added, “I’m here for her.“

Carrie Underwood Chokes Up While Speaking To Samantha Ray About Her Performance

The Idol judges were already emotional after listening to Samantha sing “I Hope You Dance.” Learning she performed the song in honor of her late sister left them speechless.

In fact, when Carrie tried to offer her commentary, she started choking up. So Lionel spoke first, although he admitted he was “trying to compose [himself]” too.

“Every once in a while, we just run across some people who have the absolute trigger on emotions. You did it perfectly,” he said.

Pulling herself together for a second, Carrie chimed in to say:

“We didn’t know what you were thinking about, but we knew you were thinking about something. That’s being a storyteller. That pulls people in, and that was really special.”

In the end, all three judges gave Samantha a “yes” vote and handed her a Golden Ticket to Hollywood! Watch the video below to see that moment and her cover of “I Hope You Dance.”

We’re sure Taylor was smiling down on Samantha in that moment…