American Idol Season 23 Fan-Favorite Slater Nalley Announces Major Career News

Season 23 of American Idol concluded on May 18th, with 27-year-old Jamal Roberts crowned the winner after 26 million votes were cast, beating out 18-year-old country singer John Foster.

However, as most Idol fans know, not winning the competition doesn't mean the end of a music career. Just take a look at Jennifer Hudson, who placed seventh in Season 3 and ended up becoming an Oscar winner. There's also Adam Lambert, who finished runner-up in the eighth season of the reality TV show and is now the lead singer of Queen, and Chris Daughtery, who came in fourth in Season 5, and has found success with his rock band, Daughtry.

Season 23 had plenty of fan-favorites, with 17-year-old Slater Nalley being one of them. He touched both viewers and the judges with his audition, and made it all the way to the Top 5. He's one former contestant that has a bright future in music.

American Idol Season 23's Slater Nalley Announces Major Music Career News

Atlanta, Georgia high school student Slater Nalley impressed viewers at home with his incredible country singing voice on Season 23 of American Idol. Unfortunately, on the May 12 episode, he learned that he did not receive enough votes to make it to the finals, and was eliminated along with 29-year-old Thunderstorm Artis. However, that didn't signal the end of a career in music.

According to Music Row, Slater announced that he had landed an artist management deal with Play It Again Music. "The past few months of American Idol have been nothing short of a blessing, and I feel more inspired than ever to create music that speaks to my fans," Nalley shared.

Play It Again is owned by country singer Dallas Davidson, who has co-written hit country tunes for Luke Bryan, Lady A, Randy Houser, and Brooks & Dunn to name a few. Dallas welcomed Slater to his record label with a lengthy Instagram post.

"Welcome to the PIA family @slaternalleymusic!," Dallas began his post.

He continued, "This young man checks all my boxes when I’m looking at an artist. Not only does his raw talent immediately draw you in, but he is a kind person. At an extremely young age, Slater carries himself like a seasoned music veteran both on and off the stage. His parents, Slater Sr. and Katie have done an incredible job with him. I can’t wait to start making music with Slater. He is going to have an immediate impact in music, not just in the country genre but globally. PIA is extremely proud to announce that we will be representing Slater on his exciting musical journey ahead. Time to get to work!"

Slater made it to the Top 5 of Season 23 of American Idol. During the May 12 episode, the final five took on Disney songs for a second night in a row. Slater chose to sing "You've Got A Friend In Me," from Toy Story and "Born to Be Wild," from the Disney film, D3: The Mighty Ducks. However, he was eliminated that night along with another fan-favorite: Thunderstorm Artis. The final three included Jamal Roberts, who won the season, John Foster (runner-up), and Breanna Nix (third place).

Slater Went Viral For His American Idol Audition

Shortly before Slater was signed to a major record label, he shared on Instagram that he had released his debut single, "Traces of You." It is an original song that Slater sang during his Idol audition that quickly went viral and had judge Carrie Underwood left in tears.

Slater wrote the song to honor his English teacher's late son, Carter Davis, who was tragically killed in 2016. During his audition, Carter's mother, Michele Davis, introduced Slater to the judges and shared the story of her son. Before his audition, Slater shared, "I didn’t know Carter before this happened and when Mrs. Davis told us, I just felt this presence come into my life essentially and I knew that I needed to do something. I went home and started working away on little notebook pages and eventually it turned into a song."

Slater sang the emotional tune to the judges, and it deeply touched each one of them, especially Carrie, who could not stop crying and was even consoled by Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie after his performance. "Even though this was about your son, every single person that hears that can fill in that memory with somebody that's in themselves, and I couldn't have imagined you doing that any better," Carrie shared.

"That one line, 'Your life was like a river running home,' that moves man. That's the one,'" Lionel told him.

In an Instagram post sharing how the song came to fruition, Slater told his fans that his English teacher asked him if he could turn her poem about her late son into a song. "I'm really excited to share it with the world," he said. In the comment section, Mrs. Davis thanked Slater for "honoring Carter."

"We cannot thank you enough for this priceless gift, honoring Carter. I love that anyone can listen to it and connect with their one no longer with them. Absolutely breathtaking. Thank you for letting us join you on your journey. What a kind and loving heart you have. Like Carter’s last wish: keep adding more love to the world. 🌎 ❤️❤️❤️"

Now, fans can listen to "Traces of You" on all music platforms.

When Will American Idol Season 24 Air?

It will certainly be hard to top the contestants from Season 23, who were among the most talented singers American Idol has ever showcased. In the end, Meridian, Mississippi native Jamal took home the crown, and it was certainly well-deserved as his soulful voice touched America.

After his win, Jamal released his debut single, "Heal," which is a rendition of British singer Tom Odell's original tune. The song quickly went No. 1 on the iTunes music charts. Jamal shared the news on his Instagram, sharing that his song hit the top spot on the R&B music charts. "This is major, Thank You Everyone," Jamal wrote.

So, now that Idol is officially over and has announced its winner, fans are already anticipating a brand-new season with even bigger acts.

In a May 9th Instagram post, American Idol announced that it would return for Season 24. "Dim the lights... here we go. #AmericanIdol is coming back for another season! 🎶" the caption read. The post also announced that "online auditions are open NOW!" According to Screen Rant, online auditions started on May 4th and will close on November 1st. For those who want to audition in-person, they can sign up in Nashville during the CMA Fest on June 6th.

However, fans are likely going to wait until next year to see the new season. It also looks like judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Season 4 Idol winner and new judge, Carrie Underwood, will return. Of course, Ryan Seacrest will return as host.