If you’re watching “American Idol” this season, you might not realize that one of the most promising contestants has Alabama ties.

Singer-songwriter Hannah Nicolaisen — who earned a golden ticket and then sailed through Hollywood week — lives in Montgomery. She’s been using her hometown of Houston as a geographic touchstone on the ABC reality series, and has talked about her past as a standout volleyball player at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Alabama has yet to figure into her backstory on the show, but no matter: We’re claiming Nicolaisen, anyway.

She moved to Alabama last year, according to her Instagram page, and has been performing in Montgomery venues such as The Tipping Point. Nicolaisen has worked as a technical recruiter for Stratice in Montgomery, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Nicolaisen, 24, has been praised as a natural talent on “Idol,” and her gifts were on display during the two most recent episodes, which aired on Sunday and Monday. These episodes were focused on Hollywood week, as the list of contestants for Season 21 was narrowed from an initial pool of about 150 singers.

On Sunday’s episode, Nicolaisen aced a performance challenge, singing an original song, “Through the Motions.” She also was seen during a mentoring session with Catie Turner (a top seven finalist on “Idol” in 2018), as the two talked about songwriting. Turner encouraged Nicolaisen to perform original songs, saying, “When I performed my originals, I was scared, but If I go home singing an original, I know I did it my way. Go on your own terms.”

Nicolaisen released “Through the Motions” as a single after Sunday’s show aired, touting the tune on social media. “American Idol has completely changed the way I see my music,” Nicolaisen said in an Instagram post. “I just want to tell stories, and they have given me the confidence to do so. I hope you enjoy the song, it’s an absolute pleasure to share it with you.”

On Monday’s episode, Nicolaisen performed a duet with another contestant, Warren Peay, covering “It’s Your Love,” a 1997 hit for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Both singers made it through to the next round, known as “showstoppers/final judgment.”

Nicolaisen is likely to be featured again on episodes airing April 9-10, as the remaining contestants perform with a band and then face the celebrity judges — Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie — for a verdict that determines their futures on the show.

Another singer from Alabama, Johnny Knox, received a golden ticket this season, but hasn’t been featured during the Hollywood week episodes. Knox, who grew up in Huntsville, gave the judges homemade sourdough bread during his audition, prompting Perry to say, ”This is amazing!” His fate on “American Idol” remains uncertain.

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.

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