Abi Carter Expected This Finalist To Win ‘American Idol’ Over Herself: “It Just Made Sense to Me”

Judge Luke Bryan’s season 22 prediction came true Tuesday (May 21) when viewers crowned Abi Carter the winner of American Idol. The 21-year-old from Indio, California, had fans buzzing from her first audition, when she sang Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” Carter reprised that performance through sobs after host Ryan Seacrest announced her victory. So what’s next for American Idol‘s first female champion in over four years? And whose name did Carter expect to hear onstage?

Abi Carter On Her ‘American Idol’ Journey:”It’s Been Life-Changing”

Not much racks the nerves like singing live on national television for $125,000 and a record deal. However, Carter “wasn’t even nervous.” Her Top 3 hometown visit already felt like a victory. Additionally, losing to fellow finalists Will Moseley or Jack Blocker “would have made 100% sense to me.”

Hearing her name called “was like every feeling and yet no feeling at all,” the Californian told the Desert Sun.

“I expected them to call [runner-up] Will Moseley, it just made sense to me,” Carter said. “So to hear my name called, it really was not a scenario that I had pre-thought about.”

[RELATED: 3 Quick Facts About ‘American Idol’ Finalist Abi Carter]

So What’s Next For Abi Carter?

Carter’s immediate future involves seeing Broadway shows and throwing the first pitch at Friday’s (May 24) New York Mets game. Long term, her single “This Isn’t Over” has already reached No. 38 on the U.S. iTunes Chart.

During the season finale, Carter told guest mentor Jon Bon Jovi that she wanted to “go a little more indie” with her career. “A little darker with happy tones,” she added.

The “Wanted Dead or Alive” rocker advised Carter to “stay true to who you are.” The singer reiterated that point during her interview with the Desert Sun.

“I think the hardest thing going into this career is wanting to please everybody, and I feel like when I’ve written songs in the past, I’ve wanted to do something that I thought would be popular,” she said. “I think what I want to do going forward is being more in line with myself artistically and kind of wanting to use music as therapy rather than my goal being for something to be popular.”

Featured photo via Instagram