Miranda Lambert Performs ‘Kerosene’ on ‘American Idol’: Watch

Miranda Lambert took the stage on American Idol Sunday for a blazing performance of her breakthrough single “Kerosene.” The record was released nearly 20 years ago on the country musician’s debut album of the same name. For its revival, Lambert performed with the full force of a rock band as clouds of smoke shot from the set.

“I am proud of this. I’m proud of where I was and where I’ve ended up,” Lambert recently told Variety, reflecting on the milestone anniversary of her debut. “I want to share that because I want to encourage younger artists to make a record you would hand your hero. That’s kind of my rule. And I still feel strongly that I could walk up to George Strait and hand him this record and feel good about it.”

Lambert had a chance to pass some of this wisdom onto hopeful artists in her guest mentorship role on American Idol. “I love them all so much. I’ve had such a blast getting to be part of this Idol family and getting to know these wonderful artists. It has been a real blessing for me,” she told host Ryan Seacrest.

Before she was a country star, Lambert was once in a similar position to these contestants. In 2003, she came in third place on the first season of Nashville Star, a competition series similar to American Idol with the caveat that contestant’s could only perform country music.

“All my grit from the bars, all the moments where nobody was listening, people were clanking balls, people on the stage and booing you, requesting waltzes 24/7,” she said at the Country Radio Seminar in 2020 about how she prepared for the experience. “It was like, everything that had culminated came to that moment. That was what set me on this journey.”