American Idol welcomed Carrie Underwood as a new judge this season, and with backlash surrounding her performance as well as other aspects of the series, it's possible the show could use a major shakeup after this season. American Idol, which has been one of the longest-standing reality TV talent competitions on the air, has had a lot of changes since its 2002 debut. Throughout the years, the show has revamped itself in different ways, changing the judges, shifting the competition's rules, and even changing networks entirely at one point. Now, with Carrie coming in, American Idol has changed once again.

Despite the fact that the judging of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan appeared to be balanced well and working out for fans of the show, American Idol had to shift gears when Katy decided to leave after appearing on the show for seven seasons. Katy's announcement left fans speculating about who would take her place, but after Carrie was announced as American Idol season 23's third judge, other problems began to arise. With changes in the way the show's contestants are featured, issues with the judging of performances, and concerns of judging bias, American Idol needs change.

With so much competition, American Idol needs a way to stand out from the crowd.

Carrie Is Too Famous & Charismatic

She's Outshining The Contestants

Carrie, who was the winner of American Idol season 4 in 2005, is the first ever judge to have won the show and returned in a position of authority. After winning Idol, Carrie became one of the most popular country superstars of her generation, and has made her mark on the music industry time and time again. With so much fame, Carrie was an exciting judge option, but her star power may be too much for the show to handle. Throughout her time as a judge thus far, auditioning contestants have been overwhelmed by Carrie's presence, which has impacted performances.

While many are enjoying Carrie's judging, others are finding it difficult to ignore the way her fame is impacting her ability to be critical. On top of Carrie outshining the contestants, it's been clear that her charisma is, at times, stealing the spotlight. Rather than focusing on the contestants and their performances, there have been moments where the show is more focused on Carrie's reactions. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, Carrie's footprint on the show may be a bit too overwhelming for her to continue in the same capacity next season.

The Show Needed To Be Refreshed

It's Gotten Too Formulaic

Although American Idol is meant to be a familiar competition format for fans, things have changed a lot in the landscape of reality competition shows in the last several years. With the addition of several other competitions since American Idol's debut, the format has become too well-known for audiences to be surprised or intrigued. For example, the audition process on American Idol has become wash-and-dry for viewers, especially with the show no longer showing auditions that don't make it through to the next round. Viewers rarely see auditions that don't get a "yes," which can make it uninteresting to watch.

On top of the issues with the format, the show itself needs to build in more surprising moments to keep viewers interested. Whether that be changing the style of the rounds after auditions the way they did early on in the new era of Idol, bringing in another host to shake things up, or allowing more fan interaction with the show prior to the live performances,American Idol. With so much competition, American Idol needs a way to stand out from the crowd.

Is Ryan Seacrest Making Good Choices?

His Hosting Has Changed Over The Years

Although many have enjoyed Ryan Seacrest as the host of American Idol since the beginning of the series, it's possible he needs to either change his style or shift into a new role on the series. Ryan has been less personal with the contestants over the last few years. In recent episodes, Ryan has been more inspirational, but his platitudes don't replace the way he used to get in-depth with contestants' loved ones outside the audition room. As a host, Ryan is supposed to keep American Idol steady, but he may need to find his way back on course.

American Idol airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.

Source: American Idol/Instagram