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Carrie Underwood had an instant crush on teen ‘American Idol’ contestant: ‘You’re pretty darn cute...'

Teen ‘American Idol’ hopeful melts Carrie Underwood’s heart—gets praised, called ‘cute,’ and invited to the Opry

When teen contestant Bryson Quick walked in for his Season 23 'American Idol' audition, Carrie Underwood admitted she had an “instant crush.” The 17-year-old aspiring country singer performed a beautiful rendition of ‘Time’ by Pink Floyd with his unique spin on it. Underwood started by praising the young contestant and his distinct voice. “Whenever I hear somebody come in who wants to be part of the country crowd, I always think about hearing their voice in between other voices,” she told Quick. “I feel like yours stands out in a good way,” she added.

After Underwood was done speaking about his voice and performance, she praised his appearance. “You’re pretty darn cute,” the ‘Before He Cheats’ hitmaker added. The singer gushed while praising the young contestant and couldn’t even maintain eye contact. Quick received a lot of praise from other judges as well. Lionel Richie said he’s got a “storyteller-kinda voice.” The judge admitted that at first he couldn’t place his voice in the country genre but realized that it's the uniqueness that would make him stand out. “Kind of reminds me of an old friend we had around here a few years ago,” Judge Luke Bryan said.

Country music legend Luke Bryan felt that Quick’s voice was similar to Chayce Beckham, winner of American Idol Season 19 in 2021. “You got a good voice and powerful range, a good little vibrato, got your own little style under there. So we’re excited to see where things go,” he added. All three judges gave him a “heck yeah” and sent him to the next round. After Quick exited, Bryan FaceTimed Chayce Beckham, asking if he could mentor the teen. “He’s kind of like a younger and better-looking version of you. It’s amazing,” the judge quipped.

“Kind of like how I was of you,” Beckham retorted back. Quick was informed that he would get a chance to perform at the Grand Ole Opry that same night alongside Beckham. “Oh really?” the contestant asked host Ryan Seacrest in disbelief. “I always wanted to come to the Opry to watch a show, but I’ve never been able to make it. The first time I’m here is to play,” Quick admitted. He was surprised to see Beckham when he entered the room and was instantly star-struck. “When Chase walked into the room, I couldn’t believe it because I’ve heard him on the radio and I’ve seen him on the show,” the contestant admitted.

From auditioning for ‘American Idol’ to performing at the coveted Grand Ole Opry on the same day was certainly a magical moment for Quick. He admitted that it felt like he became a star overnight, something he had “dreamed” about his entire life. “When you stand in that circle. You are the star. You are what encapsulates the entire Country music,” he gushed. Quick went upstage and crushed his performance and didn’t seem nervous at all. Being able to step foot up there where other greats that I've listened to my entire life played just meant more than the world to me,” he added.