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Carrie Underwood spots the next Taylor Swift on ‘American Idol’ but fans aren't convinced: 'She's too...'

Carrie Underwood made a bold comparison involving Taylor Swift during an 'American Idol' audition featuring an 18-year-singer

Zaylie Windsor is being dubbed “the new Taylor Swift,” but of course, you may wonder why! The 18-year-old singer-songwriter hailing from Safford, Arizona, caught everyone’s eye on 'American Idol' Season 23 when she was compared to the ever-iconic Taylor Swift by Carrie Underwood. During the March 30 episode, Windsor delivered an electrifying performance of a song she wrote at 14 about a breakup, describing it as "the process after a breakup and trying to figure out who you are without that person." As she performed, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood looked pleased; however, there was a look of disapproval in Luke Bryan’s eyes as he observed the performance with a stoic face.

As the performance came to a close, Underwood showered Windsor with praises, she said, "You showed us a lot in your voice, and you can go from being small and focused to, like, soaring." She went on to say, "And I'm impressed at the song, as well. I feel like you've got a lot of artistry in there." That said, Bryan didn’t quite share the same sentiment as he went on to criticize the song, being very blunt with his words as he said, “The song certainly did sound like a 14-year-old kind of level of song to me... I don't think she's quite ready."

Bryan then said, “I just wanna see if Carrie wants to fight for you or not; it’s a no from me.” What followed was a tussle between the judges as Underwood stood her ground, “There's a Taylor Swift-esque quality she has.” She further championed Windsor by saying, "If she did that at 14, like, she must have a lot of other things in her arsenal that she could bring to the table." When asked by Richie what Underwood’s final answer was, she stated, “I would roll the dice... My vote is yes." To which Richie replied while shaking Underwood’s hand, “Congratulations you, you won me over and confirmed me. It’s a yes.”

The internet is always quick to react. What followed was a bunch of fans praising Windsor’s voice, calling her the new Taylor Swift. Bryan even went on to post on X (formerly Twitter), “Prove me wrong, Zaylie Windsor in Hollywood, congrats! #Idol.” However, she also had her fair share of naysayers, with one user stating, “Oh luke. She shouldn't have went.” While another user stood with Windsor, she said, “Yes he prove you wrong,” to which Bryan replied, “I accepted.”

Reddit users didn’t hold back either as they were forthright with their comments. A Redditor commented, “Oh, God. Zaylie is so SHOUTY.” Criticizing her high-pitched voice, a fan said, “Ouch oww ugh ouch owww sorry, my ears just heard Zaylie's big note.” Another added, “Hollywood is going to eat Zaylie alive. She's too loud.” It didn't stop there, as one Redditor said, “I think I like Zaylie. Except the name. Good lord, "Zaylie? "What is that nonsense?” However, a fan tried to find reason in all the gloom: “Zaylie has a great voice, but she doesn’t need to scream; her sweet spot is in her lower range.”