Abi Carter was shocked when she won American Idol 2024
On Tuesday, American Idol 2024 winner Abi Carter and runner-up Will Moseley visited Good Morning America to chat about their run on season 22.
Abi shared with host Robin Roberts that when host Ryan Seacrest declared her the winner of American Idol on Sunday night’s (May 19) finale, she was shocked. Because a female hadn’t won since Just Sam in 2020, she automatically expected Will would win.
But judge Luke Bryan wasn’t surprised. After her win he said that he thought “It was the very first time that the person they thought was going to win actually did.” Abi added, “That touched me.” Will didn’t win, but he was thrilled that his audition song, which he released on his own earlier in the season, shot to No. 2 on the country iTunes chart.
Will Moseley thrilled that his songs climbed the country charts
“You go on the show to promote yourself and find that platform,” said Will. “And it did just that.” Additionally, his new original song, “Good Book Bad” was No. 3. the morning after the finale. “It was a blessing,” Will remarked.
Abi confided that she hated piano lessons when she was a kid, and if she talked to that little girl today, she’d tell her not to worry, the work would pay off.
As far as Katy Perry leaving the American Idol judges panel, Abi said “There’s going to be such a void when Katy [leaves],” It’s hard for Abi to imagine who could replace her. “She’s synonymous with the show at this point. She’s so iconic.”
Will added, “I think someone has a big decision to make. I’m thankful it’s not me.”
Fans ‘famously love the country singers” Abi said about her shocking win
Next, Abi took a solo trip to visit Live with Kelly and Mark. Abi shared with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that she can’t watch her winning moment back without crying a little bit. During the reveal while standing on stage with Will, Abi prepared herself to hear his name. “Will Moseley, Will Moseley,” she expected to hear. “It was just ringing in my head,” she said. “I just expected that to come out of Ryan’s mouth.”
“He’s amazing,” Abi said of Will. And she noted that country singers win often on American Idol. Fans “famously love the country singers on this show.” she said. “I was so happy for him too,” she added. “I was ready for it.”
Abi has been singing since in utero!
Then, Abi shared a strange story about how her mother’s OB picked up Abi humming in utero. And apparently that is a thing! The doctor compared the noises baby Abi made to “whale sounds.” Mom appreciated Abi’s early efforts, as she is a singer herself. Abi grew up in Indio, California listening to her sing.
The judges gave her advice after her initial audition. Both Luke Bryan and Lionel RIchie urged her to stay true to herself and not be intimidated by the talent around her. “You’re going to see so many talented people,” they said, “And they’re going to be so different from you and you’re going to think to yourself that you need to change and be like them.” They added, “Don’t do that. You have something special, you need to continue to be yourself.”
Abi shared that on her American Idol journey, she learned that she is “So much bigger than I ever thought. I realize that…you don’t have to stay in the box.” The judges pushed Abi to “stay myself, but try different things. I always thought I’d be the girl who just sat behind the piano because she had no stage presence.” She learned to love “running around a room and having a good time.”
American Idol 2024 winner Abi Carter sings “This Isn’t Over”
Later in the show, Abi returned to sing her original winners’ single, the self-penned “This Isn’t Over.” Watch it below.
“You really do have to be so grounded”
Abi shared with Extra how staying grounded was important throughout the American Idol process. “You really do have to be so grounded in order to kind of get the most out of the experience. It wasn’t very hard for me to be myself because that’s all that I have, and I didn’t know how any of this was going to go, and so at the end of the day you really only have yourself to go back to.”
“This has given me such an amazing opportunity to figure out who I am on national television along with the rest of the world, so all those risks that I was taking, I was shocking myself,” she admitted. “It has been such a ride, and I hope that I can continue to do that.”
Abi reacts to Billie Eilish knowing who she is “even a little bit”
Abi reacted to American Idol surprising her with a good luck video from singer Billie Eilish. Abi performed her song “What Was I Made For?” for her audition, which earned her a platinum ticket. “The fact that I was able to come on this show and sing a song by her – that was amazing in and of itself. And then to know that she knows who I am even just a little bit.”
Abi name checks two possible replacements for Katy Perry on the American Idol judges panel
Although Abi didn’t name names on Kelly and Mark, she shared with US Magazine that either Lady Gaga or American Idol mentor Meghan Trainor would make good panelists.
“I think Lady Gaga would crush that role,” Abi said. “Katy, of course — she’s like a monument to the show. She left such a legacy. But I do feel like Lady Gaga would be so cool.”
She also shared that Meghan Trainor “would be really cool” as a full-time judge. “She’s just the sweetest, too,” Carter said of Trainor. “With the mentoring and seeing her backstage, I remember the day that she performed. She had the flu, so she had a mask on. And her hair was blonde and blue, and I did not recognize her, and she was like, ‘Hey, queen.’ And I was like, ‘Hey.’ And it dawned on me, like, five seconds later. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, That’s Meghan Trainor.’”
What’s next for Abi
In a group interview after the finale, Abi shared what’s next for her. “I want to start releasing songs ASAP. I’ve been writing for so long now and I can’t wait to put something out in the world that I so fully believe in,” she said.
Abi added, “Not that the other ones that I’ve put out have not because they do, but I think it’ll be just a little bit different and I’m really excited for it.”
