John Lennon. Legendary songwriter, but you wouldn’t expect to hear the man’s songs on American Idol’s Songs of Faith week. But Brooks Rosser is just built different. The man with the golden voice surprised viewers by delivering Lennon’s most iconic, yet also controversial ballad “Imagine” on Idol 2026. Whatever the message, Brooks touched fans’ hearts that night, with viewers praising not only his surprise song choice but his incredibly distinctive voice.
Brooks reinterpreted Lennon’s piano ballad as a solo acoustic guitar number, with only sparse additional instrumentation dropping in as the song developed. This was definitely the right move, as it allowed Brooks’s yearning, emotive voice to really pull on your heartstrings. The Music Man has to say with how many times “Imagine” has been covered over the years, it’s not easy to bring something new to it. But Brooks showed off his sharp artistic instincts here with this unique take on the classic.
American Idol uploaded Brooks’ take on “Imagine” on March 31, 2026, and it hit 176,000 views in a little over a week. Viewers found plenty to love in the Maryland talent’s take on the Lennon hit and added comments such as “This man’s voice cuts through to my soul. So much depth and emotion” and “No one on Earth sounds like him. No matter what Brooks sings, it’s ethereal, almost spiritually captivating. So many artists have attempted to sing this song. Brooks made this song his.”
The Music Man readers may recall that Brooks hit the ground running with his American Idol debut in January 2026. The 22-year-old talent sang Joshua Slone’s “Your Place at My Place” in a solo acoustic format for his audition. The judges immediately knew they were seeing something special. Carrie Underwood told him, “Everybody kind of sounds like somebody else. So when you meet somebody that you’re a unicorn, that’s one of one, it’s really cool.”
John Lennon issued “Imagine” on October 11, 1971, as the sole single from his album of the same name. In the lyrics, Lennon explored the idea of humanity coming together in peace in the absence of any divisions such as borders, wealth disparity, and religion. The latter point is what made Brooks’ choice to sing the song on American Idol’s Songs of Faith week so surprising. BMI named “Imagine” as one of the top 100 most-performed songs of the 20th century, and it is considered by many to be Lennon’s greatest achievement as a songwriter. However, it was not without its controversy. When “Imagine” was released, the lines “Imagine there’s no heaven… And no religion, too” angered conservative religious groups across multiple faiths. However, the message of universal peace in “Imagine” has been embraced by some believers.