Country favorite John Foster delivered a jaw-dropping performance of George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart” during American Idol‘s Judges Song Contest.

John Foster sang George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart” for his girlfriend. (Photo credit: RemasterKingdom4K/YouTube)

Just six weeks after his American Idol audition aired, John Foster has his eyes on the prize. The 18-year-old’s Idol journey has been nothing short of remarkable, and he’s hoping that he will be the last one standing.

John Foster, who aspires to be a singing oncologist, caught the judges’ attention with his cover of Alan Jackson’s “Don’t Rock The Jukebox.” But that performance alone wasn’t enough to secure him a Golden Ticket. Carrie Underwood requested that John sing another song that showcased his vocals more.

Foster hoped to win the judges over with a cover of Conway Twitty’s “Goodbye Time.” The judges were still hesitant, but chose to award him a Golden Ticket.

“I don’t know if vocally it’s there to make it through many, many rounds of American Idol, but I think you got a nice voice,” Luke Bryan told him. “It’s a yes. I went from a no to a yes.”

Luke’s hesitation about how well John would do in the competition was clearly unfounded. Throughout the weeks of competition, Foster has slowly emerged as one of the singers to beat. His consistent performances and quiet confidence have endeared him to country music fans who have continued to vote for him.

Monday night, John Foster chose to perform “I Cross My Heart,” saying that he had never been able to sing a love song before that he meant.

The song was chosen by judge Carrie Underwood, who thought it would showcase the teen’s rich baritone and allow him to stay true to his country roots. As John performed, his girlfriend was seen in the audience, soaking up every moment.

“That was absolutely perfect,” Carrie told John after his performance. “Hearing you sing that song, it felt comfortable, it felt genuine. I feel like this is one of your best performances, John, and it made me so happy.”

Luke Bryan then addressed John and admitted that his initial assessment of John’s voice during his audition was wrong.

“I was doing my TikTok scroll daily, and I saw a clip of me saying I didn’t know if you could sing good enough back in your audition. And man, no one has ever proved me more wrong than you, and I’m so proud,” Luke said.

Watch John Foster’s beautiful performance of George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart” in the video below.