Reasons Carrie Underwood Will Be A Worse American Idol Judge Than Luke Bryan & Lionel Richie (It's Not Because She Isn't A Good Person)

American Idol season 23 is just around the corner, and new judge Carrie Underwood already seems like she’ll be worse at the job than Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Carrie, the winner of American Idol season 4, has become a mega-star since she became the first country artist to win the competition. While her time on the show was something she’s always been openly proud of, Carrie’s been away from American Idolfor quite some time, and her life has changed tremendously since her experience on the series. Coming back as a judge will be a huge shock for Carrie.

Carrie’s going to be a heavily featured part of the season because of her star power.

Throughout American Idol’s long run, former competitors have come back to the show to perform for the audience or mentor the Idol contestants. While Carrie has been part of that line-up, there have been others who have talked about their journeys on the show and done their best to make the new eras of Idol contestants feel included, understood, and part of a community. With Carrie joining the judges panel alongside Luke and Lionel, who have been working with Katy Perry since the show’s move to ABC in 2018, her time on American Idol season 23 will look entirely different.

Carrie Might Be Too Sensitive

She May Not Offer The Best Critiques

American Idol’s Carrie Underwood looks serious and wipes away tears in a montage image. — American Idol’s Carrie Underwood

Although Carrie hasn’t been a judge on American Idolin the past, viewers have known her as a competitor in the early season she appeared on, and followed her career from there. While Carrie’s time on American Idol from a competitive standpoint ended a long time ago, she’s appeared on the series in the last few years to offer advice and counsel contestants. Working as an American Idol guest mentor during seasons 16 and 20, Carrie’s gotten experience being around the contestants during such a formative time in their journey. Unfortunately, this may have softened her too much to judge.

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Throughout her time as a guest mentor, Carrie had the opportunity to work directly with the contestants and share her experiences, doing her best to ensure that the singers in the competition were living up to their full potential. Working as a mentor and coach, Carrie saw the pressures she already understood on American Idol from a new lens. While her style as a judge may not be exactly the same as her style as a mentor, her sensitivity to the contestants and her kind personality may not be the best for the role she’s getting into on American Idol.

Carrie's Told A Contestant Not To Say Something

She May Have Overstepped Her Boundaries

Although Carrie has been doing her best to transition from the mindset of being on Idol as a contestant to being a judge, she may be overstepping her boundaries within the first few episodes. During a preview clip shared by Parade, Carrie is shown watching a contestant’s audition and giving her some advice that could be considered over-the-line. Watching Denton, Texas native Breanna Nix sing her song “Jesus, Take The Wheel”,Carrie was quick to offer her advice that had nothing to do with her performance when Breanna shared she was “just a stay-at-home mom” during her highly-anticipated Idol introduction.

When Breanna introduced herself, Carrie shut down the idea that she was “just” anything, quickly telling the Idol hopeful to “never say I'm just a stay-at-home mom.” While Carrie seemed to have the best of intentions in letting Breanna know that she wasn’t simply one thing, and that being a stay-at-home mom was something she shouldn’t minimize or diminish. Regardless of her intentions, Carrie may have been overstepping her boundaries when telling contestant Breanna what she should or shouldn’t say. Though she’s a judge now, it didn’t feel like Carrie’s place to tell Breanna what she was allowed to say.

Carrie May Get Special Treatment

She’s An Idol Legend

Although Carrie hasn’t been a part of American Idolconsistently over the years, it’s clear that she feels at home with the production, especially with host Ryan Seacrest. Ryan, who’s been the host of the series since its original premiere, has been with the show for its duration and has known Carrie for over 20 years. With their long history, it’s come to seem like Ryan is doing a lot to ensure that Carrie’s comfortable, including giving her special treatment. With American Idol season 23’s premiere coming quickly, it’ll be noticeable if Carrie’s getting better treatment than the other judges.

On top of Ryan’s favoritism, Carrie’s being treated differently by American Idol’s production team. While Lionel is one of the most successful entertainers to be part of the show and Luke is a country mega-star in his own right, Carrie is being allowed to branch out beyond the judge’s role. As an Idol legend, Carrie is being given a web series that will run alongside American Idol this season called Idol To Icon, which allows her to connect with the contestants, sharing her journey from an Idol contestant to an Icon. Carrie’s supplementary spotlight is an indication of special treatment.

Carrie Might Overshadow The Contestants

The Show Isn’t About Her

Custom Image by César García

While Carrie is a calculated superstar, she’s also been known to be a kind-hearted, genuine person behind her stardom. As a judge on Idol, she’s already been able to move the spotlight from Lionel and Luke to focus on her, which means it could be difficult for others to break through. American Idol is meant to be a show that features the contestants more than the judges or host, but with Carrie on the panel, I’m wondering if her stardom shines too brightly to allow the contestants to be the focal point of the show the way they’re supposed to.

As American Idol season 23 gets underway, we’ll likely see more of Carrie than expected. Though the contestants will ultimately always be the heart of the show, Carrie’s going to be a heavily featured part of the season because of her star power. As a country mega-star and a success story for American Idol, the show will milk everything they can from her career. With the addition of Carrie’s web series, as well, it appears to me like the show is doing everything they can to promote American Idol as a Carrie vehicle, whether or not she overshadows the contestants.

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

Sources: Parade, Carrie Underwood/Instagram