Georgia native Slater Nalley made a memorable return to American Idol on Sunday, May 18 for the Season 23 finale. While he didn’t make it into the final three, he went out on a high note, singing the powerful duet “I’m Gonna Love You” alongside Idol judge Carrie Underwood and surprise guest, Cody Johnson.
The performance began with just Nalley and Underwood sharing the stage. With his guitar in hand, the rising artist delivered the first verse with confidence and grit before looking to Underwood to sing her part. Their voices blended seamlessly as they powered through the emotional chorus with soaring harmonies.
Then came the moment that caught everyone off guard, including Nalley.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please make welcome, Cody Johnson,” Underwood proudly announced mid-performance.
Nalley’s face lit up in disbelief as the crowd erupted and Johnson took the stage. The original duet partners briefly sang together before welcoming Nalley back in to finish the song as a trio, creating one of the night’s most unforgettable moments.
When host Ryan Seacrest made his way back to the stage, the first thing he pointed out was the “genuine thrill and surprise” that spread across Nalley’s face. The singer then shared that he was a “big fan” of Johnson and noted, “I did his version of Reba’s song earlier on the show, so big fan.”
The two exchanged a handshake as Johnson smiled and told him, “Appreciate it, buddy.”
Lastly, Nalley admitted that he will never forget this moment.
The Lovett School senior first won over the hearts of Idol judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie during his emotional audition using an original song, “Traces of You.” This tune was inspired by a poem given to him by his English teacher, Michele Davis, that was dedicated to her late son Carter, who passed away in 2016.
Throughout his time on the show, Slater Nalley showcased his talent through even more original tracks as well as songs like “Over The Rainbow,” Reba McEntire’s “Whoever’s In New England,” Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” and more.
His Idol journey came to an end on Monday, May 12, after landing a spot in the Top 5. Following his exit, Nalley took to Instagram to share a message with all the fans who had been following along with his time on the show.
“Thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to share my art with the world. Thank you for providing me with such a warm community of hard working professionals and a badass stage to play on every Sunday/ Monday night. Thank you for the incredible opportunity and hospitality you have shown me.”
He went on to thank his fellow contestants saying, “It has been an absolute honor to have been able to work with y’all. I can’t wait to see what you will do with your incredible talent.”
Next was his fans. Nalley wrote, “Thank you for supporting my journey here on idol. The amount of support and love that I have received over the past few months has been quite remarkable, you all have literally made a 17 (now 18) year olds dreams come true.”
“Although my journey on idol has come to an end, I can promise you this. I will NEVER quit. I am using this as an opportunity to start over with a new incredible fan base. Yall stay tuned, very soon some exciting news is headed your way…I love you all infinitely,” he concluded.
The top three contestants came down to John Foster, Breanna Nix and Jamal Roberts. At the end of the finale, Ryan Seacrest crowned Roberts as the winner. Foster finished second and Nix came in third.
American Idol fans can look forward to the show making its return to ABC in 2026 for its 24th year overall. On May 9, an announcement was made on Idol’s official Instagram page confirming the news.
“Dim the lights… here we go,” read the official caption. “#AmericanIdol is coming back for another season! 🎶.”
It has yet to be revealed whether or not Richie, Underwood and Bryan will all return for the next season.
The post WATCH: Slater Nalley Stuns In Final ‘American Idol’ Performance With Carrie Underwood And Cody Johnson appeared first on Country Now.