Hannah Nicolaisen was still on the mend from COVID, but few would know it when the Alabama singer performed in Hawaii as one of the top 26 finalists on “American Idol.”

Nicolaisen, who lives in Montgomery, covered Pink’s “Glitter in the Air” on Monday’s episode of the ABC reality series, prompting kudos from judge Katy Perry. (”What a song choice,” Perry said, just a few seconds after Nicolaisen started singing.)

Nicolaisen, 24, also earned praise from guest mentor Noah Cyrus, who helped Nicolaisen to prepare for her performance. “That song was made for you,” Cyrus said, pointing to Nicolaisen’s emotional connection to the tune. “There’s nothing I would change.”

Monday’s episode was filmed in advance at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Oahu — reality TV site mjsbigblog says the contestants traveled there in January for the filming — and the singers were split into two groups of 13, working with mentors Cyrus and Allen Stone.

When it was Nicolaisen’s turn to perform for the celebrity judges and an audience assembled at the resort, she proved to be a real trouper. Lionel Richie noted that Nicolaisen sounded a little hoarse.

“I’ve been very sick,” she said. “We’re just riding these waves, you know?”

But Nicolaisen wasn’t complaining, and the judges applauded her for it.

“There’s not one of us up here on this stage who’s not been in that moment where it is the most important night ever, and that’s the night it decides to go haywire,” Richie said. “But way to fight through it. Very good.”

“You picked the right song. The lyrics of that song, they’re just so beautiful and so special, and you held that and you did it such justice,” Perry said. “It doesn’t matter if you were hoarse or if you’re getting over being sick.”

“I think it’s really important for the people that watch at home, that go vote, they really need to watch your growth,” Luke Bryan said. “We love to see people start from their audition and arrive at this point, and I don’t know of anybody that’s shown more growth. So to come out here, look the part, sing the part, battle through being a little under the weather, you should be very proud of it.”

Nicolaisen provided more info on her illness in a Tuesday Instagram post.

“Lionel mentioned I was a little sick; well the day before I was supposed to fly to Hawaii, I tested positive for COVID for the first time since the pandemic,” Nicolaisen wrote. “I thought for sure my journey was over, but my symptoms did not affect my voice terribly. I was able to safely quarantine, and fly out just 2 days before the performance. Wow! I believe things always happen for a reason. I only spent 2.5 days on the island in total which made me so grateful for every second I got to spend in this beautiful place. Thank you to the team of people who made sure I was safe, prepared and taken care of. Thank you to @krispooley and the band for being so flexible and creating this stunning arrangement!! Thank you to @noahcyrus for your kind words and mentorship.”

Nicolaisen also gave a shout-out to her fiance, Matheus Mello, who traveled with her to Hawaii and was on scene at the resort.

“And finally, to Matheus, I am so excited to share this life with you,” Nicolaisen said on Instagram. “Thank you for helping me learn about myself, for supporting me, for being my safe place and my light. When I saw the American Idol link for auditions, I almost didn’t click out of fear, but you gave me the confidence I needed. When I was unsure of my song choices, you reminded me of my purpose. I’m so glad we have this memory in Hawaii forever now. I could not have made it this far without you, eu te amo.”

Their love story was featured on Monday during Nicolaisen’s video package, as she talked about their relationship, thanked Mello for being there and slapped hands with him as the “best team ever!”

“American Idol” devoted two nights to the performances in Hawaii, airing the episodes on Sunday and Monday. Viewers voted for their favorites overnight (during each episode and for about eight hours afterward). Results will be announced on April 23. Six singers will be eliminated on that episode, and a top 20 will be revealed.

The next cut will be for a top 12, with 10 singers determined by viewer votes and two singers chosen by the judges.

Nicolaisen has been gaining ground throughout the competition, earning a golden ticket during auditions, sailing through Hollywood week and pleasing the judges during the “Showstoppers” round.

Alabama has yet to figure into her backstory on the show, and she’s been using her hometown of Houston as a geographic touchstone. But no matter: We’re claiming Nicolaisen as an Alabama singer, anyway.

She’s a former standout volleyball player at the University of Illinois Springfield, now working on a career as a singer-songwriter in Montgomery. Nicolaisen moved to Alabama last year, according to her Instagram page, and has been performing in Montgomery venues such as The Tipping Point. Nicolaisen also has worked as a technical recruiter for Stratice in Montgomery, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Nicolaisen is the only Alabama singer to make it this far in Season 21. Another singer from the state, Johnny Knox, received a golden ticket to Hollywood, after giving the judges homemade sourdough bread during his audition. However, Knox was eliminated during the Hollywood round after testing positive for COVID and performing for the judges via video from his hotel room.

Alabama has a significant history on “American Idol” that includes wins by Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks in 2003 and 2006. The state also has produced two runners-up, Diana DeGarmo (2004) and Bo Bice (2005). More than 20 other contestants from Alabama have been featured during the auditions, Hollywood week and live performances.

IF YOU WATCH: “American Idol” airs on Sundays and Mondays at 7 p.m. CT on ABC. The series will move into single weekly episodes later in the competition.