Carrie Underwood gets emotional rewatching her ‘American Idol’ audition 20 years later: ‘I have no...'
Life has come full circle for Carrie Underwood! During an episode of the reality show’s 'Icon to Idol' series, Underwood got pretty emotional as she rewatched her 2005 audition for 'American Idol.' In the old clip, Underwood can be seen performing a beautiful rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s 'I Can’t Make You Love Me' for the esteemed judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul, and she won over the hearts of the judges and eventually paved a path for herself in the music industry. “I have no idea how that 21-year-old Carrie was able to muster up enough guts to walk into a room and audition in front of Simon, Paula, Randy, and the world,” Underwood shared after the footage ended, as per Billboard.
Speaking about her 'American Idol' audition, the 'If I Didn't Love You' hitmaker, who was a little overwhelmed with emotions, said, “At my audition, I think I was just trying to hold in all my emotions — literally, hold them into my body." In addition to this, Underwood also revealed that she still remembers her audition number. Underwood further added, “It’s tattooed in my brain. I should actually get a tattoo of that somewhere on my body. Because I will always be 14887.”
Just a couple of months after her tryout, Underwood went on to win the fourth season of 'American Idol.' From there on, Underwood didn't look back. For those wondering, Underwood dropped her first single, titled 'Inside Your Heaven,' on June 14, 2005, and the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Underwood's debut album, 'Some Hearts,' saw the light of day on November 15, 2005, and also debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums.
In March 2025, Underwood got the chance to experience what it feels like to be on the other side of the table. After taking a closer look at her audition clip from 'American Idol,' Underwood also went through the two-decade journal that she kept while she was a contestant on the ABC singing competition, and she nearly choked up while reminiscing about all the old memories. While holding back her tears, Underwood quipped, "I don’t even know if I could tell her what she’s about to experience. Seeing myself, 21 years old, the world ahead of you. Obviously, it’s overwhelming, but you’re going to do fine, kid. You’re going to be OK. Just hold on.”
While appearing on an episode of SiriusXM’s Music Row Happy Hour in Las Vegas, the country musician shed light on being a judge in season 25 of the beloved singing show 'American Idol.' At that point in time, Underwood stated that as a judge, she hopes to be “honest and constructive, but still kind." As per Sirius XM, Underwood also shared, "I think that’s the whole point because people are coming in, and it’s dreams. You’re part of somebody’s story from that moment on. I like to think that I am versatile, and hopefully, when I listen to people come and audition, I can have any lens I need to put on in terms of what music I’m thinking.”
