Jamal Roberts’ heartfelt viral American Idol finale performance of Tom Odell’s “Heal” is a must-watch! The Mississippi father of three delivered a soulful tour de force on the gospel tune, and with his expressive, yearning performance, he emphatically sealed the deal on his series win. Roberts really stretched his talent to the limit on the tune, showing that he can croon, belt, scream, and do everything in between. What was even more impressive was that he put his own stamp on the song in such a powerful way.
Odell’s original version of “Heal” has a sombre, introspective mood. Roberts instead took the song to church and made it sound like a jubilant, inspiring prayer. The huge, sky-high vocal runs he started dropping from 1:28 onward are just jaw-dropping. The Music Man has to say that there’s no question that Roberts deserved the win. He took the crown with a finale that showed he had the whole package: an undeniable voice, a mesmerising stage presence, and a compelling original style.
Roberts’ final performance went live on May 19, 2025, and in the 12 days since, the video has blown up to 1.8 million views. Fans gave the 27-year-old singer major props, adding comments such as “By far, the best American Idol winner. His voice and message are exactly what the world needs now, healing” and “This man was born for this! He’s the best singer hands down. The way he puts his heart in that song is absolutely amazing.”
One of Roberts’ greatest performances during the season is his take on Jelly Roll’s “Liar.” Apart from Roberts’ powerhouse vocals, the best part of the video was definitely Jelly Roll watching from the front row, looking like a proud dad. Roberts delivered a power soul vibe on the track, channeling some James Brown vibes, and he had the stage moves to match. To go from a rocking, bombastic performance like “Liar” to the piano ballad sound of “Heal” really shows the huge stylistic range that Roberts is capable of.
Roberts continued his bromance with Jelly Roll by dueting with the Tennessee rapper in the finale on his songs “Liar” and “Unpretty.” This performance also proved to be a smash hit, drawing 1.3 million views in 12 days. The Music Man is happy to report that Roberts continued kicking goals after his American Idol win. The Mississippi talent debuted his studio version of “Heal” on May 18, which became his first US number one after it topped the Hot Gospel Songs Chart.