Tom Odell Admits He Cried Hearing American Idol Champ Jamal Roberts' Cover Of His Song

On May 18th, American Idol crowned its Season 23 winner. After 26 million votes were cast by America during the three-hour finale, 27-year-old Meridian, Mississippi native, Jamal Roberts, was named the winner of Idol, beating out 18-year-old country singer John Foster.

On the day of the finale, Jamal took the stage to sing "Heal," an original song by British singer Tom Odell. Putting his own R&B spin on the tune, it became Jamal's debut single. The Season 23 winner's song has since topped the iTunes charts, with both John and third-place winner Breanna Nix right behind him with their own singles.

So, how does Tom feel about Jamal's rendition of his 2013 tune, and the song becoming a No.1 hit in America?

Tom Odell Was Impressed With American Idol Winner Jamal Roberts' Cover Of His 2013 Song "Heal"

Jamal Roberts was named Season 23's American Idol winner after an impressive journey in which he wowed the judges and America week after week with his soulful singing voice and personal story of being a loving girl dad. The 27-year-old has captured the hearts of America with his powerful vocals, and he was certainly deserving of winning the season.

For his debut single, Jamal chose Tom Odell's "Heal." Jamal put his own spin on the 2013 song and completely blew everyone away with his raw and emotional performance during finale night. Now that the song has reached No.1 on the iTunes chart, fans may be wondering what does the original singer of the tune really think of Jamal's version?

During an interview on New York radio station, 103.5 KTU, Tom was in awe of Jamal's cover.

"The other day this guy in America, here in America, did a cover of "Heal" on American Idol," Tom tells the radio DJ when speaking at length about his songwriting.

Tom Odell's song, "Another Love," has also found widespread popularity thanks to platforms like TikTok.

"Watch this thing. It made my cry. He does this version of "Heal" and, you know, this is a song I wrote when I was 20 years old and I’m 34 now. And I watched this thing on YouTube. He even said, he got interviewed, he’d only heard the song, like the day before and he does this version of it and I’m just like, ‘That is why I do this.’ That’s what music is!'" He added, "Like, to me, it’s all communication, and it’s all about that amazing thing of cultures coming together and learning something from one another. That’s what music is."

Jamal commanded the stage when he sang what would become his debut single on Idol's finale night. After his performance, he received a standing ovation from all three judges, Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood.

Jamal Roberts Originally Chose To Sing "Heal" For Idol's "Iconic Idol Moments" Night

Jamal's powerful rendition of Tom's 2013 song on finale night wasn't his first time performing it on stage. The very first time fans got to hear Jamal sing "Heal" was during the show's "Iconic Idol Moments," which aired on April 28th. The episode was dedicated to some of American Idol's most memorable and historic performances through the years.

The song had been performed by Idol Season 21's Leah Marlene, who finished in third place. Her rendition of the song moved the judges. Speaking to the week's mentor, Season 3 winner, Fantasia, Jamal admitted that he had never heard the song before, but the lyrics resonated with him.

"Most of the songs I've sang, I've never sang before in my life," he shared. "Tom Odell, I didn't know who he was, and I never head his songs. I listened to it and the lyrics of the song spoke to me. I don't care what genre of song it is, I just need to insert myself inside the song."

Jamal sang his rendition of "Heal" in front of Fantasia, who was blown away. She later shared that Jamal was able to "lose himself in the music." His delivery of "Heal" that night left the judges speechless. Those who watched his performance that night took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share just how much they loved Jamal's rendition.

What's Next For Jamal Roberts After Winning Season 23 Of American Idol?

Jamal's American Idol win came with fantastic prizes. He scored a record contract with 19 Recordings, and a cash prize that could range between $125,000 to $250,000 per Screen Rant. The outlet also reported that Jamal will be making quite a few appearances for ABC. Additionally, during the Idol finale, both Jamal and runner-up, John Foster, were gifted with Disney cruises.

Jamal released his debut single, "Heal," shortly after his Idol win, and it skyrocketed to No. 1 on the iTunes chart. Jamal shared the exciting news that his song hit the top charts on Instagram. "This is major, Thank You Everyone 💪🏾," he wrote. Surely, Jamal will be keeping busy on his upcoming debut album.

In fact, the 27-year-old P.E. teacher told Access Hollywood that he’d love for two of the artists who mentored him this season to collaborate on his upcoming record. "Oh, Jelly Roll and Fantasia on the first album — no doubt," he shared. During the Idol finale, Jamal got the chance to perform with Jelly Roll by singing his hit songs, "Unpretty" and "Liar."

Jamal Roberts Made American Idol History

Jamal also learned that he made American Idol history. With Jamal's win, he became the second African American man to win the singing competition. "I made history?" Jamal said. "That’s good to know. That’s really good to know," he added. The first Black man to win Idol was Ruben Studdard, who won Season 2.

Speaking to Parade, Jamal shared that he won't be moving out of his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi now that his career as a singer will only be going up from here. "I love my city. There's no traffic. I don't wait in line to eat. I love my life!" The finalists all traveled back to their hometowns before taking the stage at the finale. Jamal was welcomed with so much love.

"I knew I was loved, but when I saw that many people out there for me — I was shocked,” he said. "So, I’m just going to keep singing and keep moving souls, keep making people happy, and keep being Jamal," he told the outlet.

For more American Idol coverage, visit our Reality TV Hub.

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