Most people agree that American Idol reached peak popularity when it first premiered in the early 2000s. Watching Kelly Clarkson win the first season was an epic moment in pop culture history.
Over the years, American Idol’s popularity has successfully maintained its relevance. One of the biggest reasons why? The judges who are chosen for the show, of course. Katy Perry was a beloved American Idol judge for seven seasons.
When she announced her exit in 2024, her fans were bummed to say the least. Her replacement is Carrie Underwood… and that is not making fans very happy either. Based on the reaction we’re seeing on social media, it doesn’t look like American Idol is headed in the best direction.
Is Carrie Underwood Going to Ruin American Idol?
According to The Express, Carrie’s first time filming American Idol was awkward. Apparently, she appeared “nervous” in front of the live studio audience. An insider described the situation, saying, “She barely acknowledged the audience who kept chanting her name. The fans kept yelling ‘We love Carrie’ but she wouldn’t even turn around and wave most of the time – though she did a few times.”
They added, “Also, Carrie rarely danced during the contestants’ performances, besides nodding along and shuffling to some rock songs.”
If you’ve seen older episodes of American Idol, then you know how fun, playful, and energetic Katy was when contestants were performing. If Carrie intends to bring this recent lackluster vibe to American Idol, who’s to blame if fans are disappointed with the results.
A Reddit thread was launched to discuss Carrie’s newfound presence on American Idol, and some of the comments are pretty negative.
One person wrote, “Idol should just find a new judge. I bet their ratings will sink because of her.”
Another viewer chimed in with, “Well, she kind of deserves the disdain.”
Arguments For and Against Carrie Underwood Staying on American Idol
The biggest argument for why Carrie should stay on as an American Idol judge is that she won her own season of American Idol back in the day. She dominated Season 4 (2005) when she was only 21 years old.
After winning the show, she turned tons of people on to country music with hits like “Before He Cheats,” “Jesus Take the Wheel,” and “Cowboy Casanova.” She’s an award-winning artist who’s taken home the Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year, the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, among others. Her history and accolades speak volumes.
But there are sooo many people who weren’t happy with Carrie’s performance at President Trump’s inauguration. She sang “America the Beautiful” for Trump, and she was judged harshly for it.
Some fans heavily critiqued her voice while others were outraged by her political affiliation. She never outright admitted she’s a Trump supporter, but the fact that she even agreed to perform at Trump’s inauguration sealed the deal
One joke that’s gone viral on social media is that some fans hope her husband will cheat on her someday, based on the lyrics of “Before He Cheats.” Brutal! Needless to say, her performance at the inauguration rubbed a lot of people the wrong way – mainly liberal voters.
As of now, there are no updates about Carrie getting axed or replaced as a judge on American Idol. Can we expect to see her stick around throughout Season 23?