Carrie Underwood Recreates Her ‘American Idol’ Audition in Full-Circle Moment as a Judge
Watch as she reprises her performance of “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”
Carrie Underwood; Photos Courtesy American Idol, YouTube
In 2004, Carrie Underwood took a leap of faith when she auditioned for the fourth season of American Idol. Her standout cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” earned her a ticket to Hollywood and ultimately, she would go on to win the competition.
Over two decades later, Underwood has returned to the show as a judge, marking a full-circle moment in her life and career. During Sunday’s American Idol episode, the country superstar “auditioned” for the show once again, delivering an incredible acapella performance of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” from the judges panel while seated between Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
Underwood’s vocals sounded as incredible as ever as she sang the iconic hit. Richie even joked, “you’re going to Hollywood!”
The video of her performance included clips form her original audition, once again bringing things full-circle for the eight-time GRAMMY winner.
Reflecting on her American Idol journey, Underwood recalled the moment she received her ticket to Hollywood and how it deepened her connection with the contestants. Having experienced that life-changing moment herself, she now relates to the hopefuls on a more personal level.
“I definitely see bits of myself in these different hopefuls when they come in to audition,” she said. “Getting the first golden ticket, having somebody say, ‘You are going Hollywood. We believe in you.’ It was like, wow. It was validation.”
Although she is new to the judges’ panel, the Oklahoma native admits she’s loving every minute of this new gig.
“[It’s] so much fun to be on the other side of the desk and be the one that’s giving people that opportunity,” she shared with a big smile.
During the latest episode of Idol, Underwood also reunited with the PS22 Kids; Chorus where she joined them in singing her 2007 hit, “So Small.” This emotional moment nearly brought Underwood to tears. Click below to watch.
Throughout this milestone season of American Idol, Underwood is looking back on her Idol journey through a new series dubbed “Idol To Icon.” Premiering on YouTube, the series will find her reflecting on her American Idol season while guiding the new contestants as a judge.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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