Frank Micelotta/Disney via Getty (3) Jamal Robertsis the newestAmerican Idol! During the season 23 finale on Sunday, May 18, Roberts was crowned the winner of the singing competition show.Ryan Seacrestsaid he won following what was the "biggest finale vote in show history." Roberts was up againstJohn FosterandBreanna Nix, who placed second and third, respectively. The star sang "Her Heart" by Anthony Hamilton to mark his win. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Roberts, who's a gym teacher at a local elementary school in Mississippi, first caught the judges' attention with his audition of "Mary Jane" by Rick James. "Man, you got some stuff in there and by the end, you were letting it come out. Just relax. You got the voice and you know how to tell a story. Priceless," saidLionel Richie. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Luke Bryanadded, "What I love about it is it was really like southern soulfulness. Was it perfect? Was it flawless? No. But you're not trying to sing it perfectly and flawless. You're just singing it from the heart. And that's what I felt." Carrie Underwoodagreed with her fellow judges — but felt that he needed to loosen up. "You got to loosen up. You need some swagger… Just loosen up and let your body match your voice," she advised. By the end of his audition, Roberts had a "yes" from all three judges. Mike Coppola/Getty After the semi-finals on Monday, May 12, the "Drunk on You" singer, 48, said he had a "gut feeling" Roberts would be a lead "all year." "When you look at every time Breanna gets through, we're like, 'She keeps showing up and making it happen,'" Bryan said. "And then John Foster just seems to be gaining momentum." The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! He continued, "Even if it's something that Jamal's kind of had the reins of, it could change with a little bit of not focus[ing] ... so they gotta be focused all the way to the end. The music business never is not like that. You've gotta focus every day." American Idolwill return for season 24 on ABC. Read the original article onPeople
