After winning Season 23 of American Idol on May 18, 2025, and watching his debut single “Heal” shoot straight to the top of the iTunes charts, Mississippi R&B singer Jamal Roberts isn’t taking much time to bask in the spotlight. He’s already thinking ahead—to the music he hopes to record next and the artists he wants by his side.
When asked by Access Hollywood which stars he dreams of collaborating with, Roberts didn’t hesitate. “Oh, Jelly Roll and Fantasia on the first album — no doubt,” he said with a smile.
It’s not just a wish-list. Both artists mentored Roberts during his Idol journey and became vocal champions of his talent. Fantasia, a former Idol winner herself, even cast her first-ever votes for a contestant during the finale. With their public admiration and personal connection to Roberts, those dream collaborations seem more like inevitabilities than long shots.
For Roberts, meeting Fantasia was nothing short of a dream come true. She appeared as a celebrity guest mentor in late April, and Roberts—who called her one of his biggest musical idols—was visibly overwhelmed at the thought of working with her. “You don’t have the slightest clue how much I love Fantasia,” he told producers backstage, trying to keep his cool as he awaited their rehearsal. By the time she embraced him with a warm hug and sat beside him at the piano, he was nearly speechless.
The two worked together on Tom Odell’s “Heal”—a song Roberts had never heard until that week. But as he sang it for her, Fantasia was visibly moved. She recognized the pain in his voice, the kind of lived-in honesty that can’t be faked. Her belief in him fueled his standout performance, which ultimately became his debut single.
On finale night, she watched live from home and broke her own rules by campaigning publicly for votes on Instagram. “Let’s go,” she said in one of her stories, panning from the TV to her face. “Now, normally I don’t do this, but let’s go. My people. Let’s go. I haven’t watched American Idol in years but this young man reminds me so much of me. His story. He hasn’t been given anything. He’s always had to fight for it. Loves God. Loves his children.”
In another post, she added, “I’ve never Voted but this time … Please Vote,” with instructions on how to do so. When Roberts was announced as the winner and performed “Heal” one final time, Fantasia shared a video of herself beaming with pride, laughing and shaking her head in amazement as he sang.
Country superstar Jelly Roll was equally moved by Roberts—first meeting him during the show’s Hawaii round, where he served as the artist-in-residence. Roberts chose to perform Jelly Roll’s “Liar,” and during rehearsal, he opened up about growing up in Meridian, Mississippi—a place where hope felt hard to find. Jelly Roll was overcome with emotion hearing Roberts sing, wiping away tears and embracing him afterward.
“Man, that wasn’t a performance, you were testifying,” Jelly Roll told him. “I feel the pain in your voice. You can’t teach that. I am your champion in this thing, man. I think you’ve got it. I think you represent a group of misrepresented people. Man, you got it, Jamal.”
When Roberts later performed the song live, Jelly Roll stood in the audience and declared, “I would feel disrespectful to call this my song at this moment. This is now Jamal’s song. I was singing Jamal’s song tonight!” He added, “Everything about him — his story, his testimony, his love for his children, his community, his city — but most importantly, I love his voice.”
On finale night, the two joined forces again, performing “Unpretty” and “Liar.” As the final notes rang out, Jelly Roll bowed down to Roberts in awe, the kind of unscripted moment that only happens when one artist recognizes the raw, undeniable talent of another.
With a potential record deal from Idol partner 19 Recordings on the table—part of BBR Music Group, the same label Jelly Roll calls home—the path to collaboration looks wide open. And if the past few weeks are any indication, whatever Roberts records next will be more than just music. It will be a message—of faith, resilience, and finding purpose through pain.
Jamal Roberts didn’t just win a TV competition. He reminded America why music matters. And for artists like Fantasia and Jelly Roll to publicly pass the torch? That’s a victory all its own.
