JUST IN: Carrie Underwood Will Return To ‘American Idol’ During Milestone 20th Season
Country superstar Carrie Underwood will return to American Idol to mentor the Top 5 contestants. The news was revealed during…
Carrie Underwood; Photo by Getty Images for ACM
Country superstar Carrie Underwood will return to American Idol to mentor the Top 5 contestants.
The news was revealed during Sunday evening’s episode of Idol where the Top 7 performed and the Top 5 will be revealed.
Host Ryan Seacrest said the contestants will experience a “once in a lifetime mentor session” from Underwood, who was crowned the winner of American Idol’s fourth season in 2005.
“Well, here’s a dream come true! ✨ #AmericanIdol icon @carrieunderwood will mentor the Top 5, live from the home of her Las Vegas residency “REFLECTION” at @resortsworldlv!” Idol wrote on Instagram, revealing the news. ”Who better to help our hopefuls earn a place in the Grand Finale? 🤍”
Underwood will spend time with the contestants live from Resorts World Las Vegas, the home to her Las Vegas Residency, Reflection.
Underwood’s appearance on comes amid the show’s milestone 20th Season. Last week, ABC aired “The Great Idol Reunion,” featuring Jordin Sparks, Ruben Studdard, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, David Cook, Kris Allen, Maddie Poppe, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Willie Spence, David Archuleta, William Hung, Justin Guarini, and Grace Kinstler, Laci Kaye Booth and Laine Hardy.
Underwood isn’t the first Idol alum to return to the show to offer advice to contestants this season. Season 16 finalist Gabby Barrett appeared to mentor the Top 14 earlier in the season.
American Idol airs on Sundays and Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
Carrie Underwood will return to her Las Vegas residency on May 11 and has a number of dates planned at Resorts World Theatre through May 21.
The eight-time GRAMMY winner recently turned heads with the release of her cinematic “Ghost Story” music video. She is gearing up to release her ninth studio album, Denim & Rhinestones, later this year.
Arriving on June 10 via UMG Nashville, Denim & Rhinestones will feature 12 tracks, including the project’s lead single “Ghost Story,” as well as the just-released title track and “Crazy Angels.”
“We cover a lot of ground on this album. We have a lot of songs that have a bit of a ‘throwback’ feel, but they sound super fresh,” Underwood shared of the project in a press release. ”I grew up listening to so many different kinds of music and that is extremely evident in this body of work. These are musical influences that are all in me and work their way out, and I just decided this time not to get in their way. I think this whole album ended up being a big reflection of me as a person and as an artist.”
Underwood added, “After spending over two years with My Gift and My Savior, which were such passion projects and so close to my heart, putting together REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency was really the catalyst for this album. I was just ready to have fun and to write songs that make me happy to listen to and happy to sing.”
Underwood’s album release date is a pretty significant date for the “Ghost Story” singer as this year will mark her 17-year anniversary since her Grand Ole Opry debut, which took place on June 10, 2005, just two weeks after Underwood won American Idol.
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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