Carrie Underwood’s time as a judge on the current season of American Idol has been a full-circle moment for the country superstar, and she recently reflected on the time she competed in the early 2000s, when original judge Simon Cowell made a prolific prediction about her. Carrie joined the judging panel of Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan for American Idol season 23, replacing Katy Perry. As the current season’s competition heats up and is down to the final seven, Carrie’s history with the show is made even more meaningful.
When Carrie originally competed, the judges were Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. The trio of judges made the show a smashing success, as they didn’t mince words and often provided harsh feedback. In Simon’s case, the notoriously cantankerous judge wasn’t known for his kind words to contestants like Carrie, but he saw something in the 21-year-old blonde beauty from Oklahoma, and boldly predicted her success.
Simon Cowell Said Carrie Underwood Would “Sell More Albums” Than Anyone Else
Simon Correctly Predicted Carrie Would Win Her Season
In an Instagram post shared on April 24, Carrie remembered Simon’s words to her during the competition’s Rock-and-Roll Week, which aired 20 years ago in April 2005. In the post, Carrie reads from the journal she kept during her time competing on American Idol, and said that she felt she’d done a “wonderful” job after her performance of “Alone” by the band Heart.
“I, despite my mile-high hair, did a wonderful job tonight. All the judges praised me. Simon told me that I was not just the girl to beat, but the person to beat. He then went on to make a prediction that I would not only win the AI competition, but I would sell more albums than any other American Idol has.”
As Carrie read her words from 20 years ago, she chuckled at her younger self and remarked, “Someone’s confident.” The video ends with a clip of Simon saying just that, and then Carrie’s musical stats are written across the video: 85 million+ records sold worldwide and 29 #1 singles, proving that Simon may have had a crystal ball when he spoke those words back then.
Carrie spent a good amount of time watching the old clip of her performance, poking fun at her clothing, and her mile-high hair to go with the ’80s music theme of the night. She reflected on how she felt in that moment, and how important song choice was for her (and for all contestants). Carrie’s journal provides insight into how she was feeling as a young women with an incredible opportunity in front of her, and the pressure she felt in that moment to succeed.
Carrie’s so young in the older clip, full of potential, and not knowing just how far her American Idol journey would take her.
Carrie is definitely one of the most successful American Idol winners in history. Her journey was just beginning and, in fact, it would end up taking her right back to where she started, but on the other side of the judging table.
Carrie Worried That The Other Contestants Wouldn’t Like Her
In another Instagram video, Carrie rewatched her performance and spoke about how Simon’s kind words actually made her feel more pressure. She called Simon’s critique “an incredible prediction,” but admitted that his words made her feel like she had “target” on her back and that “everybody’s going to hate me.” Carrie said that the compliment made her “nervous” and she worried that the other contestants wouldn’t like her now. But, she concluded that Simon’s compliment “outweighed the fear” and she felt very good about her chances of winning.
And win she did, becoming a massive country recording superstar since then.
Her stats speak for themselves, and Carrie’s trip down American Idol memory lane reinforced the idea that Carrie had star power from the beginning. Simon was able to see it, but even he couldn’t have predicted how Carrie would return to the show as a judge 20 years later. Carrie’s journey on American Idol is an inspiration for the current season’s hopefuls, and even though Carrie’s faced some criticism over her judging style, she’s proof positive that the show can work.
American Idol airs Sundays & Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Sources: Carrie Underwood/Instagram, Carrie Underwood/Instagram