Kelly Clarkson spent a portion of her summer in Las Vegas, performing 10 nights of the Chemistry: An Intimate Evening with Kelly Clarkson residency. That’s a career highlight in itself. But what she did at the final show ought to have top placement in any highlight reel compiled about her life.

Kelly Clarkson spent a portion of her summer in Las Vegas, performing 10 nights of the Chemistry: An Intimate Evening with Kelly Clarkson residency. That’s a career highlight in itself. But what she did at the final show ought to have top placement in any highlight reel compiled about her life.

“Look, I did good not crying on the first one,” Clarkson said introducing her daughter. “I can’t promise this one, either. I asked my 9-year-old girl, River Rose, ‘What song would you want to do on tour?’ … She’s been jamming to this song since she was a baby. She loves this song so much.”

“So,” Clarkson continued, “she was like, ‘Can I sing this song for you?’ She picked her dress, y’all.” Clarkson then brought out River Rose with an enthusiastic greeting of “She looks beautiful!” River Rose said she was scared, but after some encouragement from her mother, she dove right into singing “Heartbeat Song” right alongside her mother.

The two sang right into each other’s eyes and danced around a bit, matching energy and creating an unforgettable shared family memory. And it gets better: As Clarkson revealed on social media, her 7-year-old son, Remington, was backstage at this show as well, and he even joined her onstage as well, to dance to “Whole Lotta Woman.”

Just like River Rose picked “Heartbeat Song” to sing, “Whole Lotta Women” was likewise chosen by Remington to bust a move to.

“Both of my kiddos backstage getting ready to join me on stage in Vegas,” Clarkson wrote in the caption to her social media post. “Nothing will ever be as cool and amazing as these two little humans that will always have my whole heart.”

Clarkson recently hit yet another milestone — 21 years since she became the very first American Idol winner. In 2022, on the 20th anniversary, she reflected on what that moment has meant for her career.

“We only get so many trips around the sun,” she wrote on Instagram, “and while I am proud and feel abundantly blessed at the successes and failures that I have learned from, I am most proud and grateful for those friends that have become family, and for their arms that have held me when I needed it and their hearts that listened to me when I felt lost.”