Behind the scenes of music’s biggest shake-ups, it’s often the quietest voices that spark the loudest rumors. That’s exactly what happened when American Idol alum John Foster mentioned Jelly Roll during a backstage interview — and now fans are wondering if the two could be cooking up a chart-topper that blends soul, grit, and rebellion.

John Foster has been keeping busy since he became the runner-up on American Idol season 23 back in May. Between performing at the Grand Ole Opry and hitting up local music festivals left and right, you’d think he wouldn’t have any time to work on new tunes for folks to enjoy. Well, fear not, because he just revealed some thoughts about his music future… including who he’d love to collaborate with in the studio.

John appeared on an episode of The Fable House podcast on June 18, and the singer opened up about his dreams for creating a long-standing career in country music. Amid a conversation about his journey on American Idol, he dished on how the show helped him pursue the next important phase in his career. As it turns out, the Louisiana native is heading to country music’s biggest city to do some incredible things for his future.

“I’m writing,” John shared in the clip about where he stands with creating new music. “I’m in talks with recording. I’m going back to Nashville soon and getting in talks with lots of people where we’re going to make lots of music really soon, and I think people are really going to like it.”

But that’s not all John teased about where he sees his life in music going. He also noted how he’d love to collaborate with country singer Jelly Roll, who he worked with on American Idol over the course of the season 23. As for the reason behind his duet dreams with the ABC series’ inaugural “Artist in Residence,” John reveals it’s due to their strong camaraderie even after the show ended.

“Maybe so,” John said when asked about working with Jelly Roll in the future. “There’s a couple of different people coming at me from different directions. All great stuff, though. All wonderful stuff. Nothing solid, nothing I can really comment on, but really great stuff. Jelly himself is just a really great dude I’m fortunate enough to have built a relationship with.”

As fans remember, Jelly Roll was on hand to help mentor the season 23 contestants as they moved through the intense singing competition. And while Jelly Roll wasn’t always seen on camera with the contenders, John managed to snag a behind-the-scenes photo with him while in rehearsals for the show back in April.

“Taken in the middle of duet practice,” John wrote at the time on Instagram. “I was mentally and physically exhausted, and then here comes @jellyroll615 to lift our spirits. A truly great man! 💙.”

Can we get this music collab in motion, please?