American Idol Season 23 Finale premiered on May 18, 2025. The highly anticipated finale of ABC's iconic singing competition featured many renowned artists.

The May 18 finale lasted three hours and featured performances by the Top 14 and guests like Patti LaBelle, Salt-N-Pepa, The Goo Goo Dolls, Jessica Simpson, Good Charlotte, and others.

In April, “American Idol” hopeful John Foster advanced from the Top 20 to the Top 14 with a performance of his tearjerking original song “Tell That Angel I Love Her.” The 18-year-old Louisiana singer penned the tune about his late friend, Maggie Dunn, who died during his junior year of high school.

American Idol season 23 finale aired on May 18, 2025, and crowned a winner in Jamal Roberts. However, John Foster, who was the second in line, has gained immense popularity through his Idol journey, with almost half of America rooting for his win.

After, Foster took the stage to perform six songs for a large crowd of eager listeners — many of which he covered on the show. First, he sang "Don’t Rock the Jukebox" by Alan Jackson, followed quickly by Elvis classic “Jailhouse Rock."

Denton native and American Idol finalist Breanna Nix waves from an open top convertible during a parade in her honor on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Denton. Nix is one of the Top 3 finalists for the 23rd season of American Idol.

The evening began with five hopefuls, each delivering two performances that would determine their fate. The remaining contestants—Slater Nalley, Breanna Nix, John Foster, Jamal Roberts and Thunderstorm Artis—received mentorship from Broadway legend Lin-Manuel Miranda, who guided them through their Disney-themed song selections.