The lights dimmed, the circle lit up, and when the first note hit, the crowd knew — this wasn’t just nostalgia, it was a comeback. The latest American Idol winner stepped onto the Grand Ole Opry stage and delivered a performance so powerful, so full of soul, it brought the house down. Thunderous applause erupted before the final chorus even finished. One fan summed it up best: “He’s still got it — and then some.”

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 20 years since Taylor Hicks, now 48, was crowned the winner of American Idol‘s fifth season in 2006, but his talent is still as real as ever.

The proof is in a TikTok video he shared on his official account on Saturday, July 19, when he performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, once again bringing down the house like his fans know he always does.

In this clip, Hicks is performing a cover of the Eagles’ hit “Take it to the Limit,” and it’s giving fans flashbacks to his American Idol days. He’s still got it!

@taylorhicksAnother great night at the @Grand Ole Opry! Thanks for having me back! #taylorhicks #opry #grandoleopry #eagles♬ original sound – taylorhicks 

After watching Hicks prove that he still doesn’t miss a beat, fans flooded the comments to let him know just how blown away they are by his talent.

“He’s still so good! Love him,” one commenter wrote, while another added, “So great. Brilliant performer.”

Hicks also shared some photos and more performance videos from his night at the Opry on Instagram, writing, “Another great night at the @opry! Thanks for having me back!”

Though his reality singing competition days are now behind him, Hicks is still keeping busy. He’s still regularly performing live, and though he’s not releasing as much new music as he once did earlier in his career, his most recent single, “Porch Swing,” came out in February 2023.

Looking back on his time on American Idol during an interview with news outlet WAAY 31 earlier this year, he did admit that he is “partial” to his season of the show.

“I think obviously being on Idol at that time when it was so big — it was an amazing run,” he said.