I've been one of Carrie Underwood's biggest fans since her American Idol season 4 audition in 2005, but I was concerned about her replacing Katy Perry as a judge in season 23, and now a new preview has confirmed my fears. In August 2024, American Idol announced that Carrie would be taking Katy's place, after the latter star left the show after seven seasons in order to focus more on her music. Katy, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie were the original judging when ABC revived American Idol in 2018, after FOX canceled the show in 2016.

For American Idol season 23, Carrie will take Katy's place at the judges' table. Throughout Katy's time with the show, she was known for her hilarious personality, outrageous behavior, and kind demeanor toward the contestants. Every Disney Night, she dressed up as an iconic Disney character, which fans always looked forward to. Although Carrie is just as sweet as Katy, I was concerned when she was announced as her replacement that she wouldn't be edgy enough to fill her shoes. Now a preview for American Idol season 23 has validated my concerns.

What Did The American Idol Season 23 Preview Reveal About Carrie Underwood As A Judge?

Carrie Interacts With The American Idol Season 23 Contestants

The American Idol season 23 preview, which has Carrie's hit song, "So Small," playing in the background, begins with a flashback to Carrie singing that she was going to Hollywood after her audition, and then host Ryan Seacrest announcing her as the winner of American Idol season 4. The words, "After 20 years, Carrie comes home," flash on the screen as Carrie, Luke, and Lionel are shown walking down the hall at the auditions. Then, Carrie is shown telling an American Idol hopeful, "You're what this show is for," as the contestant cries tears of joy.

The words, "March 2025, Idol's next chapter begins," then appear on the screen, as other contestants are shown. Luke tells a contestant, "You're amazing," while Lionel is shown saying, "You slayed it." Carrie then asks another contestant, "Who are your inspirations?," and she answers, "I'm looking at her right here." As an American Idol winner, Carrie is uniquely qualified to be a judge, but the preview indicates that she will be very different from Katy.

Carrie Is A Kinder & Gentler American Idol Judge

Carrie Is Calm & Collected

Carrie is her usual calm and collected self in the American Idol season 23 preview, which wasn't a surprise to me because she's always poised and kind. I love Carrie because of this, but I'll also miss the edginess and humor that Katy brought to the judges' table. I understand that it's hard to tell from just a few seconds of a promo what Carrie's whole experience as an American Idol judge will be like, but this preview is inspirational to a fault. It's too sweet, which is a bit of a turn-off, especially because I the days when Simon Cowell would offer his biting commentary.

Although I definitely don't want to return to the days when Simon would insult the American Idol contestants, I also don't want the show to continue with its ABC era gentleness. There have been times throughout the last seven seasons when the contestants were off-key or didn't have star quality, but the judges still raved about them. So far, American Idol season 23 looks like it will be more of the same. Also, the show is highlighting the fact that Carrie fans are auditioning, which will make it even harder for her to say no to them.

In addition, although Katy was never as caustic as Simon, she definitely brought an edge to the show that Carrie simply doesn't have. I loved seeing Katy's bold outfits every week, and watching her over-the-top antics. It's hard to imagine Carrie in situations such as when Katy's pants ripped during Hollywood Week and Luke taped them back together, or when the duo improvised the hilarious Queso song. Dressed conservatively, but always looking beautiful, Carrie seems to be all-business in the preview, and I'm really worried that it could translate into her being a boring judge.

I love Carrie, and I've been a huge fan of hers for twenty years, but I'm not sure if she was the best fit as an American Idol season 23 judge. The show already has one judge, Luke, from the country music genre. However, the main problem is that Luke and Lionel are known for being soft with the contestants, while Katy was the only one who'd regularly speak her mind and tell them the truth.

Katy and Carrie are two completely different people, so Katy's absence is going to be very noticeable. The American Idol season 23 preview seems to indicate that Carrie will be a much more conventional judge, which could translate into her becoming boring. However, because I'm such a big Carrie fan, I really hope that I'm wrong.

American Idol season 23 premieres on March 9, 2025, on ABC.

Source: American Idol/YouTube