American Idol threw viewers, and Slater Nalley, a curveball during Sunday night’s finale when Cody Johnson made a surprise appearance to perform.
Semi-finalist Slater Nalley joined Carrie Underwood to sing during Sunday night’s American Idol Season 23 finale. The two paired up to sing “I’m Gonna Love You,” Underwood’s 2024 collab with Cody Johnson.
The song was released as the lead single for the deluxe version of Johnson’s studio album, Leather. Johnson and Underwood have performed the song live together several times since its release, including at Cody’s Nashville tour stop, where Carrie made a surprise appearance to join him.
But Sunday, it was Cody’s turn to make a surprise appearance. Carrie was on stage with Slater Nalley performing when she introduced Cody Johnson before the last chorus. Nalley clearly had no idea that Cody was making an appearance, as his face showed his obvious surprise. Slater struggled to hide his smile and finish the song as Cody Johnson’s unexpected appearance shocked him.
After the performance, Ryan Seacrest confirmed that Slater Nalley knew nothing about CoJo’s appearance. Carrie stepped back and allowed Slater and Cody to share a moment as the Idol hopeful had the opportunity to shake Cody’s hand and share that he’s a huge fan of the country star.
Viewers React To Cody Johnson’s Surprise Appearance
Fans took to social media to share their excitement over the unexpected Idol collab.”The scream I just let out for Cody Johnson #AmericanIdol”, one fan wrote. Another added, “Slater got to sing with Carrie Underwood and Cody Johnson. Yup. Gonna be hard to top that moment as a singer.”
Viewers also praised Slater for “holding his own” with the country superstars. “I love this song so freaking much. Slater was so SHOCKED to see Cody Johnson. Carrie. Cody. Slater. A trio I didn’t know I needed. Beautiful,” a fan commented.
Watch Carrie Underwood, Slater Nalley, and Cody Johnson sing “I’m Gonna Love You” in the video below.
