Fantasia Barrino is back on the show that made her a star. More than two decades after the singer won American Idol, she returned to the show with an incredible performance. On April 28, 2025, host Ryan Seacrest excitedly introduced the singer to the stage to perform her new single, "Have Your Way." Wearing a stunning silver gown, Barrino reminded viewers exactly why she won the show as a teenager. Surrounded by lights and smoke, her powerful vocals took center stage while she was backed by a gospel choir. Barrino performed much of the track on her knees, making her passion for the song all the more clear. The live audience was impressed to say the least. All three judges, Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, along with artist-in-residence Jelly Roll, were on their feet after Barrino finished her performance. "The world is going through a lot right now and we need more God, so I allowed him to use me on the biggest stage ever," Barrino told Seacrest after her performance, before promoting her upcoming gospel album and podcast.
The American Idol episode on April 28 was themed "Iconic Idol Moments," a fitting tribute to Barrino’s own legendary status. Back in 2004, she received mass praise for her performance of the Porgy and Bess standard "Summertime." At that time, Paula Abdul called it an "Oscar-winning performance," while Simon Cowell remarked, "You proved the point with that performance tonight why we are critical of people who just sing well. There was something magical about what you just did." Reflecting on her journey, Barrino shared with People in 2023 that she was "just a little girl from High Point, North Carolina that liked to sing" when she first sang the track. "I didn’t know anything about the industry. I didn’t know anything about, ‘Maybe you should look this way, dress this way, talk this way, smile for the cameras a certain way,’" she recalled. "While I was singing for everybody else, I was actually singing my way through and to some things." Twenty years later, Barrino released a new version of the song, stating, "For me, going back to ‘Summertime’ means a lot because that’s the song that made people change their mind on me," in a conversation with AFROTECH.
During the April 28 episode, the Top 12 contestants recreated iconic moments from the singing competition's past, mentored by Barrino. Jelly Roll joined the audience as judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan provided feedback. After the Top 12 performed, two contestants were eliminated, leaving the Top 10. Barrino created her own iconic moment when she sang "Summertime" during Season 3 of American Idol on April 15, 2004. That performance is still remembered as one of the greatest in the show's history, with Randy Jackson calling it "the single best Idol performance of any season." With 19 million votes cast by America, the competition remains fierce.
In the lead-up to the episode, viewers were introduced to the Top 12 contestants, which included Thunderstorm Artis, Ché, Filo, John Foster, Canaan James Hill, Kolbi Jordan, Josh King, Slater Nalley, Breanna Nix, Mattie Pruitt, Jamal Roberts, and Gabby Samone. Two singers, Desmond Roberts and Amanda Barise, were eliminated prior to the live show. The Top 12 performed unforgettable songs inspired by iconic American Idol moments, honoring the show’s legendary history. Fantasia's return was not just a moment of nostalgia, but a celebration of her enduring impact on the show.
Fantasia Barrino's journey since winning American Idol has been nothing short of remarkable. She has consistently pursued a career in the entertainment industry, releasing albums and performing in various productions. Her most recent record, Sketchbook, was released in 2019. During her return to American Idol, she debuted a brand new song and confirmed that a gospel album is on the way. Additionally, she has a podcast coming out, further expanding her reach in the entertainment field.
In recent years, Barrino starred in The Color Purple on Broadway and reprised her role in the film adaptation released in 2023. After that, she took a break from show business to study business at Central State University, demonstrating her commitment to personal and professional growth. Barrino's life has not been without challenges; she faced legal issues with her father in 2006 over how he was portrayed in her memoir and survived a serious overdose in 2010. "I lost everything," she admitted in a 2023 interview with People. Reflecting on her early career, she confessed, "I didn’t know anything about contracts. I didn’t know anything about checking your money and making sure every day your stuff was where it was supposed to be. I just trusted and believed everybody that came into my life."
On a personal note, Fantasia has been married to businessman Kendall Taylor since 2015. The two met at a rooftop bar in North Carolina, and despite her initial hesitations about entering a relationship, she found in Taylor everything she had been looking for. "He was a praying man, he was a smart man, he was a man with a story, he was a man with a past, he was going somewhere; I saw the king in him and he saw the queen in me," she shared. They quietly tied the knot at a courthouse just three weeks after they met, followed by a larger reception later that year.
Fantasia is also a proud mother of three children. She shares a daughter, Zion, born in 2001, with Brandel Shouse, and her son Dallas, born in 2011, with Antwaun Cook. In 2021, she welcomed her daughter Keziah with Taylor, and she is also a stepmother to Taylor’s son, Trey. Barrino has been open about her fertility struggles while conceiving Keziah, revealing that she found out she was pregnant in 2020 after taking a break from trying for three years. "I kid you not, I forgot about it," she said during an interview on The Tamron Hall Show. "And then I woke up one night, and I was just like, ‘Something’s different.'"
As Fantasia Barrino continues to inspire with her music and personal story, her return to American Idol serves as a powerful reminder of her journey and the impact she has made on the music industry. Her performance on April 28 not only celebrated her iconic past but also set the stage for her exciting future in the entertainment world.
