Abi Carter never met a song she couldn’t slay during her American Idol run. Her rendition of Billie Eilish’s Oscar-winning hit “What Was I Made For?” had viewers (and Luke Bryan) prematurely declaring her the season 22 winner. Three months later, Carter fell to her knees in shock when their predictions came true. Now, the 21-year-old Indio, California native is hard at work getting her post-Idol career off the ground. And she recently took to social media to share the names of three artists who have inspired her along the way.

Who Does ‘American Idol’ Winner Abi Carter Feel Inspired By?

Big things are on the horizon for American Idol’s first female champion in four years. The “This Isn’t Over” singer will drop “Peppermint Sky,” her first single since winning Idol, this Friday, July 26. The next day (Saturday, July 27) is equally special. Carter will take the stage at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California, for her first full concert.

The Californian hopped on Instagram last Tuesday (July 16) to answer a few questions for fans. Naturally, the conversation turned to her musical inspirations. Unsurprisingly, Billie Eilish was at the top of the list.


Carter also named pop superstar Taylor Swift and indie-rock outfit Manchester Orchestra among her personal idols. “I feel like they have such different methods of conveying emotion, but they all do it in a way that I feel super inspired by,” she said.


Carter is pretty skilled at conveying emotion herself, as American Idol viewers learned during her show-stopping performance of Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life.”

Abi Carter Surprises Healthcare Workers

Abi Carter recently surprised some employees from the Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs, California with free tickets to her first full concert, No Amount of Dark.

“I’ve been here when I was scared, and I’ve been here when I was elated with joy,” Carter told the employees Thursday (July 18.) “And I know that each and every one of you have experienced that times a thousand… You’ve experienced every emotion in the world.”

She continued, “I know that this is just such a small thing, but I wanted to give back to you guys in the way that I could.”