Jamal Roberts
Jamal Roberts | |
|---|---|
 Jamal Roberts signing autographs for audience members at the 2025 American Idol finale on May 18, 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jamal Roberts |
| Born | November 6, 1997 Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer |
Jamal Roberts (born on November 6, 1997) is an American singer who won season 23 of American Idol on May 18, 2025.[1]
Background
[edit]Roberts is the father of three girls, and a physical education (P.E.) coach at Crestwood Elementary School in Meridian, Mississippi—a city of 40,000 east of Jackson. When asked by Billboard what it is like to be a father, he said it is "the best thing that ever happened to me... They're [his children] very sensitive, especially with their daddy... you learn how to treat... one without making... one feel jealous."[1]
In addition to being an usher and singing in his church choir, he is also a drummer. His grandparents discovered that he could sing and encouraged him to perform in church. His paternal grandfather was a bishop and his maternal grandfather was a deacon.[1] In 2020, Roberts was a contestant on Sunday Best, a BET gospel music competition series in which he finished in the top three for the season.[2]
American Idol contestant and winner
[edit]He auditioned for the show twice before. During the second season for which he auditioned, he was asked to perform a second song but had only prepared one.[citation needed] His influences include The Temptations, David Ruffin, Jamie Foxx, B.B. King, Michael Jackson, Al Green, Marvin Sapp, the late Daryl Coley, and the late gospel singer Lee Williams of Lee Williams and the Spiritual QC's. Roberts reflected on what advice he would give to contestants on Idol: "Go with your first mind (meaning to avoid being indecisive, but follow your instinct). Anything that you do, do your best."[1]
Roberts' main strategy was to avoid being pigeonholed. He demonstrated his versatility by performing music from genres outside of his roots in soul and gospel music: "I went with Rick James... to Anthony Hamilton, to "Tennessee Whiskey," to Jelly Roll, to Disney, to Carrie Underwood. I've just been doing everything different(ly) and they haven't been able to put me in a box. I've been all over the place (stylistically)." Roberts also said he knew of American Idol judge Lionel Richie's familiarity with Rick James and wanted to highlight his diversity as an artist. Roberts has no intention of leaving Meridian, "I love my city... There’s no traffic! No waiting in line to eat! I love that in my life. I'm just going to keep singing."[3] Jelly Roll, the in-house mentor for season 23 of American Idol, told Roberts that "Liar" was "not his own song anymore" after Roberts performed his rendition of the song in Hawaii, and that he felt that Roberts sang it better than he could while performing in the Top 24 round of the contest. Jelly Roll felt after singing a duet with Roberts that "Liar" is "Jamal's song (now) and that he was singing Jamal's song tonight".[4]
Roberts was asked about his perspective on winning and said, "I took the 'no' (looking back at his first two unsuccessful efforts on the show). I've always been able to take constructive criticism and use it for my gain and try again."[1] During "Iconic Idol Moments" week, Roberts performed a cover of Tom Odell's song "Heal" (which he also reprised in the finale). According to critics, the performance was reminiscent of Fantasia's 2004 breakout moment of American Idol season 3 of "Summertime". Incidentally, Fantasia was the mentor for that week. His performance of "Heal" drew in viewers and similarly went viral online.[5] Roberts' rendition of "Heal" was released as a single on May 17, 2025. "Heal" is a cover song; however, Roberts wrote an original third verse to it, and the song represents a prayer.[6]
Roberts won American Idol on May 18, 2025, after receiving 26 million votes—a record for the ABC version of the show and nearly double the amount of votes from the previous season. He is the second African American male winner in the show's history, and the first since Ruben Studdard won in 2003.[7][8] Idol judge Richie remarked that Roberts is "divinely guided", after he performed a cover of The Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" during the finale.[9]
Performances
[edit]| American Idol season 23 performances and results | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order number | Result |
| Auditions Episode #3 | N/A | "Mary Jane" | Rick James | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round | "Her Heart" | Anthony Hamilton | |||
| Showstoppers/Green Mile | "Tennessee Whiskey" | George Jones | |||
| Top 24 — Sunday, Part 1 (April 13) |
Contestant's Choice | "Liar" | Jelly Roll | 12 | |
| Top 20 (April 20 – Voting) |
Easter Sunday — Songs of Faith |
"Forever" | Jason Nelson | 18 | |
| Top 20 (April 21 – Results) |
Victory/WildCard Songs | "Try a Little Tenderness" | Ray Noble Orchestra feat. Val Rosing |
16 | |
| Top 14 (April 27) | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | "Shout" | Isley Brothers | 5 | |
| Top 12 (April 28) | Iconic American Idol Moments | "Heal" | Tom Odell | 12 | |
| Top 10 (May 4) | Ladies' Night | "Undo It" | Carrie Underwood | 8 | |
| Top 8 (May 5) | Judges' Song Contest | "Dancing on the Ceiling" (w/ Gabby Samone & Josh King) |
Lionel Richie | 3 | |
| "I Believe" (selected by Lionel Richie) |
Fantasia | 8 | |||
| Top 7 (May 11) | Disney Night #1 / Mother's Day Tributes |
"Go the Distance" (from Hercules) |
Roger Bart | 2 | |
| "A Change Is Gonna Come" | Sam Cooke | 11 | |||
| Top 5 (May 12) | Disney Night #2 | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (from Remember the Titans) |
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell |
5 | |
| "Beauty and the Beast" (from Beauty and the Beast) |
Angela Lansbury | 10 | |||
| Top 3 — Grand Finale (May 18) |
Jelly Roll's Choice / Hometown Dedication / Winner's Single |
"First Time" | Teeks | 2 | Winner |
| "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" | The Temptations | 5 | |||
| "Heal" | Tom Odell | 8 | |||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Bronson, Fred (April 28, 2025). "American Idol Top 12 of 2025: Meet Season 23 Contestants". Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Ogwude, Haadiza (2025-05-20). "Who is Jamal Roberts? 7 facts about the historic 'American Idol' Season 23 winner". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
- ^ Parker, Lyndsey (May 19, 2025). "Jamal Roberts". Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Boyte, Mary (April 14, 2025). "American Idol "Jelly Roll" Says Meridian Native Jamal Roberts' Cover Tops His Original". Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ^ Whitewood, Kelly (2025-04-30). "No One Expected Jamal Roberts to Turn "Heal" Into a Televised Breakdown That Brought Everyone to Their Knees". Daily Stories. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ Sharma, Preksha (May 19, 2025). [soapcentral.com/shows/what-true-blessing-american-idol-runner-john-foster-expresses-gratitude-journey ""What a True Blessing," American Idol Runner-up Expresses Gratitude for the Journey"]. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ Mwai, Kui. "Jamal Roberts Is First Black Man To Win 'American Idol' Since Ruben Studdard 22 Years Ago - Blavity". Blavity News & Entertainment. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ eadmin (2025-05-19). "Jamal Roberts Breaks a 22-Year Record to Become the First Black man Since Ruben Studdard to Win American Idol". Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ Rathod, Gira (May 18, 2025). "American Idol Season 23 Finale Recap". Retrieved May 18, 2025.