American Idol season 23 has come to an end, and one of the Top 3 finalists--Jamal Roberts, John Foster, or Breanna Nix--was crowned the champion. American Idol season 23 welcomed season 4 winner Carrie Underwood as a new judge on the alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Together, they discovered Jamal, a 27-year-old physical education teacher from Meridian, Mississippi; John, an 18-year-old college student from Addis, Louisiana; and Breanna, a 25-year-old stay-at-home mom from Denton, Texas, and now one of them is the next American Idol.

Jamal Roberts won American Idol season 23, while John Foster was the runner-up, and Breanna Nix placed third.

Jamal won American Idol season 23, while John was the runner-up, and Breanna placed third. During the first round of the finale, the Top 3 finalists competed with two songs each, including Jamal's "First Time" by TEEKS and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" by The Temptations, John's "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" by Toby Keith and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, and Breanna's "In Jesus Name (God of Possible)" by Katy Nichole and "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus.

After Breanna's elimination, Jamal and John competed in round two, during which they sang their new singles. Jamal performed "Heal," a cover of Tom Odell's song, which he'd previously sung on the show, while John sang his original song, "Tell That Angel I Love Her," which he'd performed earlier in the season. After performances from the Top 14 and various superstars, Jamal was crowned the winner of American Idol season 23.

What Jamal Roberts' Win Means For American Idol

American Idol Fans Are Voting For Non-Country Singers

For the third year in a row, American Idol fans have voted a non-country singer, Jamal, as the winner, which is a huge shift from past seasons, in which country music dominated. R&B singer Jamal follows season 22 winner Abi Carter, who sings pop music, and season 21 winner Iam Tongi, who has an island sound.

Although country singers have made it far in recent seasons, including John, season 22 runner-up Will Moseley, and season 21 third-place finisher Colin Stough, other genres, including Christian music, have become just as popular, as Megan Danielle placed second in season 21 and Breanna placed third this year.

It's interesting that Jamal, Abi, and Iam have been able to break through the country music barrier on American Idol because fans have been complaining for years that the genre is featured too much on the show. With two judges, Luke and Carrie, who are country music superstars, fans feared that the genre would once again take over the show. However, Jamal emerged victorious in the end.

Our Take On Jamal Roberts Winning American Idol Season 23

Jamal's Win Was Much-Deserved

Jamal was a powerhouse from his American Idol season 23 audition until his last finale performance, and he completely deserved to win the show. He infused his special magic into every one of his performances, and, as Lionel said, he had the unique ability to "Jamalarize" any song in any genre. From his powerful rendition of "Mary Jane" by Rick James at his audition to his spectacular and moving performance of his own single, "Heal," at the finale, Jamal always stunned the audience and the judges.

Jamal sailed into the Top 24 after his Hollywood Week performances of "Her Heart" by Anthony Hamilton (Idol Arena), "Tennessee Whiskey" by Chris Stapleton (Showstoppers), and "The Door" by Teddy Swims (Head-to-Head round duet with Desmond Roberts). He then wowed everyone in the voting rounds with his performances of "Liar" by Jelly Roll (Top 24), "Forever" by Jason Nelson (Top 20), "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding (Top 20 celebration song), and "Shout" by the Isley Brothers (Top 14).

Jamal then continued to dazzle with his performances of "Heal" by Tom Odell (Top 12), "Undo It" by Carrie Underwood (Top 10), "I Believe" by Fantasia Barrino (Top 8), "Go the Distance" from Hercules and "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke (Top 7), and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and "Beauty and the Beast" from the film of the same name (Top 5).

Jamal should be so proud of his body of work during American Idol season 23. Jamal is so sensational that he has the potential to become one of the most successful American Idol winners, and I can't wait to see what he does next.