“American Idol” finalists Breanna Nix and John Foster reunited at CMA Fest in Nashville, and sat down to sing “I Told You So” together. (Photo Credit: Breanna Nix / Instagram)

John Foster And Breanna Nix Reunite At CMA Fest In Nashville After Coming In Second And Third Place On American Idol

Just a few weeks after the American Idol season finale, John Foster and Breanna Nix reunited for a special duet.

Jamal Roberts won Idol‘s 23rd season, while John and Breanna came in second and third place, respectively. Since then, all three singers have kept busy with performances, interviews, and celebrating the success of their debut singles.

Shortly after the finale, Jamal, Breanna, and John held the Top 3 spots on the all-genre iTunes chart. Breanna’s debut single, “Higher,” was also the #1 song on the iTunes country chart for some time.

John Foster, Breanna Nix, and Jamal Roberts came in second, third, and first place on Season 23 of “American Idol,” which ended on May 18, 2025. (Photo Credit: Disney / Christopher Willard / Getty Images)

Idol fans were thrilled when it was announced that the three finalists and other standout contestants from Season 23 would be performing in Nashville at a pre-CMA Fest event on June 4. Both Breanna and John made their debuts at the Grand Ole Opry that same week.

Somewhere in between the hustle and bustle of CMA Fest, John and Breanna found a moment to sit down and sing together. They chose a special song for their performance, covering Randy Travis’ “I Told You So.”

The History Behind “I Told You So”

Randy Travis wrote “I Told You So” himself. He released the song as a single in 1988, and it reached the #1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.

21 years later, in 2009, Idol winner (and eventual judge) Carrie Underwood covered “I Told You So” for her album Carnival Ride. That same year, she and Travis released a duet version of the song, and it was a crossover success. The duet peaked at #2 on the Hot Country Songs chart and climbed to #9 on the all-genre Hot 100 chart.

The duet version of “I Told You So” later won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. The RIAA has since certified the song platinum.

“I Told You So” is a song fans often associate with American Idol. Carrie and Randy delivered their first joint performance of the song during the show’s Grand Ole Opry week in 2009.

Several contestants have also performed “I Told You So” on the show, including Maddie Poppe, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, and most recently, John Foster.

Since Carrie was a judge on Idol‘s 23rd Season, John delivered part of his performance directly to her. Near the song’s end, he approached the judges’ table and looked at her while he sang, winning everyone over.

Fans React To John Foster And Breanna Nix’s “I Told You So” Duet

So you can imagine fans’ delight when John Foster joined Breanna Nix to sing “I Told You So” while they were together in Nashville for CMA Fest. Breanna shared a clip of their performance on social media, writing:

“Singing with @officialjohnfoster Let us know how it sounds to you… Should we finish the rest?“

The clip opens with Breanna singing angelically while John plays guitar by her side. Then John jumps in for his verse, delivering each lyric with sincere tenderness and care.

Their video cuts off right before they reach the song’s iconic chorus. As Breanna questioned in her caption, she wondered if fans would like to hear them sing the whole track.

Breanna’s followers are entirely on board with that idea, and they begged her and John to sing “I Told You So” in its entirety. Some of the comments on her post included:
“You stopped before the best part!!! Yes we need the rest – and this is just beautiful with your voices!”

“Absolutely Finish It!! It sounds Fantastic! Best Duet I have heard in a very long time!”

“Please finish…sounds amazing!”

“Get this thing out here to us quickly! Love love it. Y’all sound amazing together as well.”

“Yes!!! Please sing more together!”

“My 2 favorites singing one of my all time favorite songs…Yes finish it.”
The duo also received Randy’s seal of approval! He commented:

“Please finish! I need to hear it!! Ya’ll are incredible artists and will make Carrie and I both proud! Looking forward to hearing so much from ya’ll in the years to come! Thank you.”

You can enjoy John Foster and Breanna Nix’s “I Told You So” duet in the video below. We can’t wait to hear them sing the entire song together!