Utah singer reveals the life-changing advice she received on ‘American Idol’

The Hollywood round of “American Idol” was somewhat of an emotional roller coaster for Kaibrienne Richins.

The 20-year-old singer from Henefer, Utah, survived “the biggest cut in ‘Idol’ history” — one that whittled the competition down from 143 to 56 singers — due to her rendition of Jessie Murph’s “How Could You,” the Deseret News previously reported. Richins’ raw performance had even her fellow competitors crying.

“One of the most important things to me is that people feel the words I’m singing,” Richins told the Deseret News via email. “The feedback and messages I’ve received, thanking me for doing that song have been so special to me, and made doing such a vulnerable song completely worth it.”

But the next night of the Hollywood round, Richins had to fight to stay in the competition. The Utah singer found herself in a sing-off with contestant Alyssa Raghu, who made it to the top eight on Season 17, the Deseret News reported. The two “Idol” contestants had one hour to prepare for a performance of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” from the movie “A Star is Born.”

And only one singer would be able to move forward.

Kaibrienne Richins on her ‘American Idol’ sing-off against Alyssa Raghu

Richins told the Deseret News she “felt a little defeated” when she learned she’d have to compete in a sing-off to potentially secure a spot in the competition’s top 24.

“The stress of everything had been weighing on me all day, and I was looking forward to going into that room and find out either a yes or no,” she shared in an email. “So hearing I was gonna have to do a sing-off super freaked me out. I was super anxious and didn’t think I’d be able to sing my best under that amount of stress.”

“Idol” showed footage of Richins preparing for the sing-off, which involved working with a vocal coach to help push through her nerves and open up. Richins told the Deseret News that she was “not feeling confident” in her abilities as she rehearsed for the impromptu “Shallow” performance.

But then Richins’ vocal coach gave her some advice that the singer believes she’ll carry with her well beyond her “Idol” days.

The vocal coach looked at me and said, ‘Stand up tall KB, no more of this,’” Richins recalled in the email. “She said you don’t have a choice to not believe in yourself anymore. If you want this, you HAVE to step into this person who believes in herself and go in there and sing like your life depends on it.

“In that moment, a switch flipped in my head,” Richins continued. “I went into that sing-off a completely different person and came out of it believing in myself more than ever. ... It ended up being so huge for me, and definitely something that I will take with me throughout the rest of my life.”

Kaibrienne Richins makes the ‘American Idol’ top 24

In the end, Richins’ raspy rendition of “Shallow” cut through and won over the judges.

“That’s the best she ever sounded,” “Idol” judge Katy Perry said as the judges deliberated over who to advance. “That was the reveal. I just kind of forgot how good she was.”

“She slayed,” Luke Bryan said with a laugh.

Now, Richins competes in the top 24 round, which airs April 7 and 8 at 7 p.m. MDT. The round marks the first time in the season that viewers can cast votes and weigh in on their favorite singers, per Deseret News.

“I’m just so grateful for this opportunity and all the overwhelming love and support I have received!!” Richins wrote in her email. “And don’t forget to VOTE.”