Carrie Underwood Recreates Her Iconic ‘American Idol’ Performance Of Heart’s ‘Alone’ 20 Years Later
“You might remember the high note, but you definitely remember the mile high hair,” she joked of her original performance.
Carrie Underwood; Photos Courtesy YouTube, ABC/American Idol
Carrie Underwood has experienced several full-circle moments since returning to American Idol as a judge after being crowned the winner of Season 4, and on Sunday night, she enjoyed another one, recreating her iconic performance of Heart’s “Alone” — nearly 20 years after she first sang it on the show.
The superstar proved she only gets better with time as her vocals were as strong, if not stronger than ever.
Underwood’s performance drew praise from viewers, who complimented her vocals on social media.
“This is what an ICON, sounds like. flawless and fierce,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Vocal master class, incredible power, clarity and tone. Carrie Underwood is all of that.”
One fan even declared that her original “Alone” performance was “still THE best Idol performance of all time” and later added, “I fell in love with Carrie the moment she sang her first note at the audition and her “Alone” performance sealed her win for me. Been a loyal fan of hers since I was 11 years old – grew up with her music guiding me through every stage of my life. What a full circle moment to see her sing this song again on the Idol stage.”
Prior to this unforgettable moment, Underwood looked back on her original performance in an episode of the web series, From Idol To Icon.
“You might remember the high note, but you definitely remember the mile high hair,” she joked.
The eight-time GRAMMY winner went on to explain how she chose to perform “Alone” during her time on the show.
“The theme for this week where I sang alone was number ones, so it’s kind of like you have your rules. Every week we’d get our new theme and we’d get to work on what songs we wanted to sing, and somewhere throughout this competition, I think I’d made it to top 12, and I was like, I’m going to go buy a laptop so I can actually do some homework. So we kind of got our list of years, what the number one songs were, and I remember I always loved the song. I’ve always loved Heart,” she explained.
Underwood admitted that she always had the song in her “back pocket” and believed that this was the time to bring it out.
“I feel like each week, I mean, you’re always second guessing. You’ve always got a couple of options. Once you get in and start working with the band, you might be like, ‘oh, maybe I don’t sound as good on that one as I thought I did.’ So you switch,” she recalled. “But yeah, I’d say it was the right choice.”
Aside from her incredible vocal performance, this rendition of “Alone” had everyone talking about her sky-high hair.
“The hair. The hair. That was some big hair. I feel like our motivation, obviously this is a song from the eighties, wanted to kind of fit the vibe, but I was kind of self-conscious of it in the moment,” she admitted. “It was a little not how I was used to seeing myself, so I was like, ‘oh my gosh, my hair’s really… Of course, now it’s iconic. I wouldn’t change a thing, but kind of at the time, I was nervous. I hadn’t fully embraced the fact that I was kind of playing a character and getting into a role. Now I’ll do that at the drop of a hat, but back then it was, ‘oh my!’
Carrie Underwood’s latest performance of Heart’s “Alone” took place during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Episode. James Taylor was the guest mentor and the Top 12 was officially selected.
American Idol airs on ABC Sunday and Monday at 8 pm EST.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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