Gabby Barrett returned to the American Idol stage for the Season 20 finale on Sunday, May 22 to deliver a performance of her latest single.
The country superstar, who is pregnant with her second child, wowed the crowd with a stunning performance of “Pick Me Up.”
Joined by a full band and her husband Cade Foehner, Barrett, donning an all black ensemble, put her powerhouse vocals on full display with her impressive performance of the fan-favorite tune.
Watch Barrett’s Idol performance below.
Co-written by Barrett alongside Jon Nite and Ross Copperman, “Pick Me Up” appears on the deluxe edition of Barrett’s record-breaking debut album, Goldmine. Co-produced by Copperman and Zach Kale, with additional production from Jimmy Robbins, Sam Martin and Bryan Fowler, the 17-track project boasts 15 songwriting credits to Barrett’s name.
“I wrote ‘Pick Me Up’ with Ross [Copperman] and Jon [Nite]. I didn’t really have a song in my repertoire that was laid-back Country – a riding down the back roads while listening to George Strait-type of song,” Barrett shared. “I had to pay homage to George Strait because I feel like I’m being adopted into the Texas family with my husband being from Texas.”
The backroad ballad effortlessly paints the picture of a day that can only be fixed with a late-night drive with the person you love.
“You and Jesus can fix my soul,” she sings, “So pick me up, get me lost way out / Down a back two-lane / Little George Strait way on up / Get me outta my head and outta this town / And tell me no matter what / You’ll be by my side / Everything gonna be alright / Make the world go black, how you do me like that / When I climb up in your truck / Just pick me up.”
Additionally, Barrett recently shared the music video for “Pick Me Up,” which features Barrett and her husband Cade Foehner making their acting debut portraying the leading roles, follows a couple from the moment they met through their elderly years. The heartwarming storyline is intertwined with clips of Barrett performing the tune in a rural area.
Barrett previously returned to Idol to mentor the Top 15 earlier this season.
The three-hour Season 20 finale of American Idol also featured performances from the Idol judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, as well as the Top 3 finalists Noah Thompson, HunterGirl, and Leah Marlene.
Additionally, superstars James Arthur, Sara Bareilles, Michael Bublé, Deana Carter, Earth, Wind & Fire, Melissa Etheridge, Flo Rida, Ben Platt, Thomas Rhett, Tai Verdes, and more also performed during the star-studded broadcast.
Several other contestants from Season 20 also returned to the Idol stage, including Mike Parker, Christian Guardino, Jay Copeland, Nicolina Bozzo, Fritz Hager, Emyrson Flora, and Lady K.
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the American Idol finale aired live coast-to-coast on Sunday, May 22, at 8/7c on ABC. The finale also streamed live on ABC.com and the ABC app and will be available to watch via Hulu on Monday (May 23).
