"I'm gonna cry hard!" — American Idol fans react to Slater Nalley's rendition of "Soulshine" 

With his rendition of "Soulshine" by The Allman Brothers Band, Slater Nalley brought unadulterated passion and profound soulfulness to the American Idol stage. The Alabama native's long-held goal of making it this far in the competition was powerfully realized on Easter Sunday. One of the night's most remarkable performances was Slater's transformation of a Southern rock standard into something spiritual with a sincere voice and natural stage presence.

The 18-year-old singer embraced each line of the song with an unteachable vulnerability. In addition to being amazing, his rich voice textures and bluesy tone came off as quite genuine. His performance demonstrated heart as well as vocal prowess. Gold Derby's Andy gave him an "A," lauding his "classic rock sound" as a true manifestation of who he is rather than a ploy.

The enchantment of the event also enchanted the fans. While Slater's progress moved some to tears, others praised him for his amazing vocals. Praise, respect, and tears erupted on social media; some attributed his Top 20 ranking to natural talent, while others felt fortunate to have seen it all happen.

An American Idol fan posted on X,

"Y’all I’m gonna cry hard! Congrats @slater_nalley! You’re my favorite! #AmericanIdol"

Another viewer shared,

"I just voted for Slater Nalley on @AmericanIdol! Vote for your favorites now! #AmericanIdol https://idolvote.abc.com. Slater is very, very very talented and can kill any song. He wants us more than any of them."

A netizen wrote,

"Slater Nalley gets one of the last five safe slots to move through and gives a solid performance good enough to keep going #AmericanIdol"

More American Idol fans flooded social media with their heartfelt congratulations and appreciation for the contestant.

A tweet read,

"Absolutely love this guy!!! I can see him becoming a star! Finale bound! 🙏"

Another person commented,

"That Georgia boys is shining TONIGHT CONGRATULATIONS Slater."

"No offense but what do people see in john? like even if i was into country music, i'd probably rather put slater through over him... john is just so generic to me #americanidol," another X user shared.

"Just let it blossom" — American Idol judge Luke shared his praise for Slater Nalley's performance

Slater Nalley gave an incredibly moving rendition of The Allman Brothers Band's "Soulshine" in the Top 20. The Alabama native's performance, which tapped into the spirit of Southern rock and blues, was very intimate and emotionally rooted. His ability to remain loyal to his roots while enthralling a national audience was not overlooked.

"You've already figured out who you are as an artist. Just let it blossom. It's really inspiring," said Luke Bryan.

He was particularly touched by Slater's performance and gave him words of support. Slater keeps demonstrating that he is more than simply a fan favorite this season; he is a serious contender, thanks to comments like that and a strong sense of artistic individuality.

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Watch all the episodes of American Idol Season 23 on CBS.

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