Cody Johnson surprised fans, and contestant Slater Nalley, by appearing on the American Idol finale. Carrie Underwood and Nalley were performing her and Johnson’s recent No. 1 hit,  “I’m Gonna Love You,” when Johnson emerged on stage to surprise Nalley and finish singing the song with him.

Slater made it into the Top 5 of American Idol, with Jamal Roberts crowned the Season 23 winner. John Foster came in second, with Breanna Nix rounding out the Top 3.

Nalley won over all there judges’ hearts, including Underwood’s, during his audition. He performed a song called “Traces of You,” written about Carter Davis, the teenage son of one of Nalley’s teachers, who was tragically killed.

 

Nalley performed songs from multiple genres throughout Season 23 of American Idol, including a few country songs. Nalley performed both John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery,” and Reba McEntire’s “Whoever’s in New England.”

“I’m Gonna Love You” is from Johnson’s Leather Deluxe Edition album, released last year. It was Underwood’s idea to record the song live in the studio.

“I did my part; I did my vocal part, and we had it done,” Johnson recounts. “When she came into the studio, she did her part, and we’re listening back to it. We both kind of had this look like it just didn’t hit you. It didn’t slap you in the face like I thought it would.”

Ironically, Underwood had already been pitched “I’m Gonna Love You” years ago, but felt the song wasn’t quite write for her at the time.

“I thought it was a beautiful song, but I felt like it might be better for a male artist to sing,” Underwood tells Billboard. “Plus it didn’t really fit with the direction of where my new album at the time was going.”

 

Underwood is grateful she got to sing with Johnson, after already being a fan of him for a long time.

“He’s awesome,” Underwood boasts. “I remember the first time I met him. I know he’s been working at this for a long time. Whenever somebody kind of comes onto the scene, it seems like it happens so fast. But I remember the first time I met him, and I was like, ‘I like that guy.’ I came away from that meeting — not meeting, it was just at an awards show — but I told my manager, ‘I like him. He just seems very genuine and like the real deal.’ And he’s got an incredible voice.

“So I feel like it was inevitable that we would sing together at some point,” she adds. “And I love this song so much, and getting to be in the studio and be around him on the video shoot and things like that. He’s just, he is the real deal. And he’s like this cowboy that sings, which I love that.”

This was Underwood’s first season as a judge on American Idol, but hopefully not her last. The Oklahoma native has yet to confirm if she will return for Season 24, nor have Luke Bryan or Lionel Richie revealed their future Idol plans.