(photo: 19 Recordings/BMG)

When 18-year-old country crooner John Foster took a risk and performed an original song on American Idol Season 23’s “Songs of Faith” Easter episode, it was a turning point for him in the competition, establishing him as a real artist. But “Tell That Angel I Love Her,” which is now the newly christened runner-up’s debut single, was a turning point for him long before he appeared on Idol.

Foster penned the heartbreak ballad for his best friend, Maggie Dunn, and another friend, Caroline Gill, who died when a police officer crashed into their car on New Year’s Eve 2022. And the traumatic experience forever changed him as a songwriter and musician.

“We were juniors in high school, and it was the first time I ever really lost somebody. I wasn’t really locked into music at that point — I was playing around with writing songs, and I was doing gigs — and so, when I lost Maggie, I was like, ‘OK, I need to write a song about this,’” Foster explained backstage at Sunday’s American Idol finale. “That day, that was the defining moment. It wasn’t the very first song [I ever wrote], but it was just my first song with a big punch to it, where I actually knew, ‘OK, this is something I need to pursue.’ That song was like, ‘OK, I need to be a musician.’

“I didn’t know for sure yet, and I still don’t really kind of know if I’ll be a full-time musician,” Foster continued. “But that was it for me. That’s my song. I wrote that all by myself and I’m so proud of it, and it’s the most beautiful and yet the most horrific thing I’ve ever created. I was so glad to do it on the show, too, because it shows who I am as an artist down at the core. I wrote it, I’m singing it, and to sing it for [Maggie] as well was just such an honor.”

Foster did what he needed to do on Idol, so he was completely satisfied with his historic second-place finish to powerhouse showman Jamal Roberts. “Jamal got first place on the show, which he absolutely deserved. Oh, my goodness, I can’t say enough great things about his performances. His performances were so incredibly touching,” Foster said emphatically. “To be behind him is an absolute honor. I mean, with the incredible, incredible talent this season has had — the best season in history, in my opinion — to be runner-up of the best vocal talent in American Idol history, I’ll take that any day of the week.”

Foster was never a big belter like Roberts or some of the other Season 23 contestants, like Caanan James Hill, Gabby Samone, and third-place finalist Breanna Nix, and he was OK with that… except for that time when he apparently caught flak online for one of his Disney performances. I actually thought Foster’s decision to cover “Rainbow Connection” was brilliant, and I even declared it my favorite song choice of Season 23’s second Disney Night and said Foster’s affable speak-singing shtick worked like a charm. But apparently some haters gave him grief for not belting the Muppet Movie theme, which saddened him.

“Kermit didn’t belt it, for sure,” Foster pointed out, but he confessed that he was actually “very disappointed to see that a lot of people were discontent with my ‘Rainbow Connection’ performance, because I absolutely adore that song. It is such a sweet song, and it’s meant to be sung very softly, very lightly, so that [reaction] was really disheartening. I know we’re not supposed to read comments — Carrie [Underwood] told us not to! — but sometimes they literally just pop up. Sometimes I’ll be scrolling and I get the notifications. And it was disheartening to see that a lot of people were very, very unhappy that I didn’t just belt that song out. But I think that people’s discontent with that is a perfect example that somebody’s cup of tea is not somebody else’s cup of tea.”

It’s interesting that Foster said he’s still not sure if a full-time music career will be his ultimate path, since he seems to be many American Idol viewers’ cup of tea. But he clarified, “Right now, I’m the runner-up on one of the greatest seasons on Idol. I’m not stopping any time soon.” He revealed that he “has a good number of songs under my belt,” and while he has understandably been “super-busy” while competing on Idol, he has still been working on original material when he can.

“I absolutely adore writing. So, I’m super-excited to actually have a full-length album, which is coming up very soon,” Foster teased. “I so wish I could give you a solid plan, but I have a very good feeling that I’ll have an album out pretty soon.”