American Idol season 23 will welcome music superstar Carrie Underwood to the judging , but she'll also have a brand-new role that no other judge has had in the show's history that will give her staying power and help her succeed on the show. Carrie won American Idol season 4 in 2005, and has since gone on to become a global icon. When Katy Perry announced that she'd be leaving the singing competition series after a seven-season run, it seemed that no one could ever take her place. However, Carrie was the perfect person to take Katy's seat alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan on the American Idol judging .

Ahead of the March 9, 2025 American Idol season 23 premiere, Carrie has faced some backlash because of her decision to sing "America the Beautiful" at President Donald Trump's inauguration. Some fans thought that Carrie's performance meant that she fully ed President Trump, and so they've decided to boycott the show because they have opposing views. This led some to believe that Carrie might fail as an American Idol judge, but her new role indicates that she'll most likely be a big success.

What Is Carrie Underwood's Brand-New American Idol Role?

Carrie Won't Only Be An American Idol Judge

While Carrie will serve as an American Idol season 23 judge, that won't be her only role in the latest installment of the long-running singing competition series. Carrie will also be the star of a YouTube webseries beginning on March 4, titled Icon to Idol. In an Instagram post, Carrie shared the news about her brand-new series, revealing that she kept a journal during her winning American Idol season 4 run, and she'll use it to look back on her own journey on the show during Icon to Idol.

In the caption of the post, Carrie wrote, "Opening up my journal from 20 years ago, I’m reminded still that @americanidol was and is always worth it. [heart emojis] Happy to share an early look at #IdolToIcon, an exclusive digital series where I reflect on my own season while guiding our new hopefuls as a judge! #CUonIDOL."

Carrie also shared a video of herself reading from the journal, with the captions appearing on the screen in her handwriting. She said, "Let's take a look at my journal from when I was on American Idol."

Then Carrie read, "I just have to keep in mind that it will all be worth it, and the life I've started will be great. Most importantly, I have to that this has all been my choice, and it's something I've wanted ever since I was a little girl. I know I have some great things ahead of me. Right now, I'm just trying to live in the moment, and appreciate it all. I never dreamed that all of this would happen to me. I love it."

Carrie's New Role Will Make Her An American Idol Success

Carrie Will Take A Nostalgic Trip Down Memory Lane

Carrie's new webseries, Idol to Icon, will make her an American Idol success as a judge and give her staying power because it will be a nostalgic reminder to people about why they fell in love with her in the first place, especially those who've turned away from her recently. Carrie is one of the best singers ever to come out of American Idol, and she became America's Sweetheart for a reason. Her voice is a gift, and her talent has sured every other contestant. In addition, Carrie's kind and humble personality, despite being a music superstar, is very irable.

Carrie will also be a successful American Idol judge because she's uniquely qualified for the job. No other judge in the show's history has been a former contestant, so none of them brought the perspective that Carrie will bring to the show. She not only knows firsthand what it's like to be an American Idol contestant, but also what it takes to win and have an extraordinarily successful career afterward. Icon to Idol will revisit that journey, and allow Carrie to reflect on it. Carrie was the perfect choice to be the next American Idol judge, and she'll be a tremendous success and hopefully stay with the show for many seasons.

American Idol season 23 premieres on Sunday, March 9 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

Source: Carrie Underwood/Instagram