On Friday,Billboardrevealed the 22-year-old country singer is coming back to theAmerican Idolstage that launched her career — and introduced her to now-husbandCade Foehner— as a mentor for the hopeful contestants of Season 20.
Set to appear on the forthcoming April 24 episode, Barrett joins other previous contestants who’ve served as mentors this season includingRuben Studdard,Jordin Sparks,David Cook,Lee DeWyze,Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart,Chayce Beckham, andJimmie Allen. PopstarBebe Rexhaalso appeared on the series as a Season 20 mentor.
In 2017, Barrett auditioned forAmerican Idolin Nashville, Tennessee during Season 16 and remained in the competition through the season finale. Then, she was voted off in third place behind runner-upCaleb Lee Hutchinsonand his girlfriend, winnerMaddie Poppe.
Since her stint on the show, Barrett has scored two No. 1 hits on theBillboardU.S. Country Songs and U.S. Country Airplay charts with the six-times platinum-certified “I Hope” and its two-times platinum-certified follow-up single, “The Good Ones.” Both tracks appear on the Munhall, Pennsylvania native’s debut albumGoldmine, which peaked at No. 27 on theBillboard 200following its June 2020 release.
Last year, Barrett spoke toPEOPLEabout her meteoric rise to fame. “It’s hard to look at everything when you’re moving at a million miles an hour,” she said at the time. “You’re not really able to enjoy it — or at leastIwasn’t able to enjoy it and look at it as much as I could, and let everything sink in that was really happening with my work.”
Most of her initial success occurred amid COVID lockdown, during which she was also busy with the January 2021 birth of her and Foehner’s first child, daughter Baylah. “I was crying happy tears about what’s been happening because I’ve been working so hard,” continued Barrett, reflecting on her eventful year. “It was just an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness.”
CreatingGoldmineamid pandemic-related social distancing restrictions was more difficult than giving birth, the singer told PEOPLE. “I was singing voice memos in the car, just singing in parts, because we were just trying to meet all of these deadlines… Everybody was just trying to help make it as perfect and as great as I wanted it to be,” said Barrett. “Actually, giving birth was fairly easy, so I’m glad about that!”
source: people.com
