Kelly Clarkson’s Return To The ‘American Idol’ Stage Had Everyone In Tears, Watch Her Emotional Performance (VIDEO)

When someone mentions ‘American Idol,‘ there are two names that immediately pop inside your head: Simon Cowell and Kelly Clarkson. If Idol had its own currency, Clarkson and Cowell’s faces would be on it. Or maybe it would be a hairy chest for Cowell.

Anyway, Kelly Clarkson is THE American Idol. She has every single thing you need to be a great idol, and she proved this during her special return Thursday night.

The 33-year-old singer returned to the 15th (and final?) season of the show as a guest judge, and she absolutely killed it. She gave the contestants great advice, she was funny…we’re not sure why they didn’t just add her as a fourth judge years ago.

But even though her judging skills were pretty impressive, it was her emotional performance at the end of the show that has everyone still talking and crying today. She performed her extremely personal song, “Piece by Piece,” which was co-written by Clarkson in a first-person narrative to her father “whose neglect to his family was used as a juxtaposition to her husband’s unconditional love to her and their daughter.”

And while she has performed the song a few times on television before, last night felt like the first time all over again. It was an incredibly emotional performance and everyone was crying by the end of it. Clarkson was crying, Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick, Jr., and I have no problem admitting I was crying as well.

Check out the performance below if you want to join the parade of sobbing.