Kelly Clarkson Stuns With Heartbreaking 'American Idol' Perfromance

If you've watched more than two minutes of season 15 of Fox's American Idol, you definitely know it's the farewell season. They've promoted it with as much subtlety of one of Cher's 17 goodbye tours in hopes to stoking ratings and getting an eleventh hour renewal. Auditions and Hollywood Week tried to wring extra tears from hopeful and heartbroken contenders, their families and even the judges. While it was occasionally effective, it also read as desperately manipulative.

On Thursday, Kelly Clarkson, the first American Idol winner with a voice that sounds like a rainbow-covered bolt of lightning, and a spirit to match, just reminded fans that true musicians just need a a microphone, a piano and an insane amount of bravery to land a sucker-punch to the feels. The extremely pregnant Clarkson performed a stripped down version of "Piece By Piece" with such vulnerability and soul, that the normally upbeat Idol audience was reduced to tears. Judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, Idol contestants were visibly moved as they listened to the ballad about an absentee father.

​Kelly herself even broke down during the last minutes of the song, turning away to compose herself and apologizing to the understanding crowd. She blamed it on being "super pregnant and hormonal" after the audience's lengthy standing ovation.

Watch the performance below and try not to ugly-cry.