‘American Idol’s Fritz Hager Performs Original Single ‘Hearts Align’ on ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’

Earlier this week, Fritz Hager was announced as the winner of Live with Kelly and Ryan‘s American Idol Encore contest. The fan favorite singer appeared on Friday’s show to perform his original single “Hearts Align” and talk about his experience on Season 20.

Fritz Hager Performs as American Idol Encore Winner

Fritz never got the chance to perform “Hearts Align” on American Idol, since he was eliminated from the Top 5 before the finale. However, he clearly has plenty of fans who wanted to hear him perform the song on TV. Thanks to them, that’s exactly what he did on Live With Kelly and Ryan this week.

The singer strummed his ever-present guitar and showed off the voice that carried him through weeks of the competition. Fritz released “Hearts Align” earlier this month, as his fellow Top 7 performers also put out their own original singles.

After his performance, Fritz shared that he’d been rehearsing a performance of his song for American Idol, saying “it was all prepared.” It’s nice that he got to perform it on live TV, even if it wasn’t on the official competition stage.

SEE ALSO: ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ FRONTRUNNER FRITZ HAGER CELEBRATES EP HITTING NO. 1 ON ITUNES

The Singer Talks About Crying in Front of Ryan Seacrest

During an interview after his performance with co-hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, Fritz shared that the first time he and Seacrest “really talked” was during the Showstoppers round. The singer explained that he was “just a wreck, in tears” at the time of their talk.

Ripa then asked if Seacrest started crying with him when Fritz was crying. The singer replied that he “heard after I left” that the host might have shed a tear. Seacrest joked, “I almost started now when you were retelling the story.”

Fritz said he’s thrilled to be able to “keep the momentum going into the future” through the opportunities provided by American Idol. He says that these opportunities are “all I’ve ever wanted.”