- Last May, Kelly Clarkson covered a song by Elizabeth Nichols.
- The country star said the experience changed her life.
- Today, Elizabeth is appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show in a full-circle moment.
Country singer Elizabeth Nichols has one of the catchiest songs around with “I Got a New One.” The 23-year-old singer-songwriter was already making waves in Nashville when Kelly Clarkson gave her a career boost by covering her hit.
Ten months ago, Kelly tapped in to her country roots for a Kellyoke version of “I Got a New One,” telling her talkshow audience, “I always love shining a light on a fellow Texan…It’s her debut single. I love it so much, it’s so funny. It spent two weeks on Spotify’s viral charts, and we just love lifting up new artists that we love, so we hope you’ll check her out.”
And it’s safe to say she’s felt the support from fans after Kelly’s cover. After the episode aired, the song hit number 1 on the iTunes Country chart, and stayed there for multiple weeks. Elizabeth’s reaction also went viral. She said, “Kelly, it’s your song now,” and admitted that she screamed at her TV for three minutes when she watched it. (Her dad’s reaction is also a must-watch.)
Fast-forward to 2026, and Elizabeth is appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show in a fun full-circle moment. Before the April 17 episode, she shared the story of how the experience quite literally changed her life.
“When I saw Kelly Clarkson cover my song, I don’t think I ever felt anything like that. My wedding might not compare (sorry to my future husband).”
Elizabeth continues, “My grandma called me morning of and was like, ‘Hey, you’re on the credits for The Kelly Clarkson Show today.’ I watched and I screamed and I cried and I was so excited and I sang along, so it was a duet.
“It’s such an honor that she’d even sing something that I wrote. That week, I dropped out of law school, and now I do this full time. And I can’t believe that today I get to sing my song on The Kelly Clarkson Show. The same song that she sang, so it’s so full circle.”
Elizabeth said, “Kelly, thank you so much. You literally changed my life. My dad wants to have a couple of words with you because he really wanted me to be a lawyer, but I’m very happy.”
Tune in to The Kelly Clarkson Show today to see Elizabeth’s performance, or stream the episode on Peacock.
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.
