The American Idol season 23 post-Oscars sneak peek has finally aired, and it proved that Carrie was the perfect choice to be a judge on the show, alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

When Katy Perry announced that she’d be leaving the singing competition series after seven seasons, I thought it would be impossible to find anyone to fill her shoes. However, when Carrie was announced, I knew that she’d be an amazing judge because she won American Idol season 4 in 2005, and has become a global superstar in the past twenty years.

All signs seemed to point to Carrie being a tremendous success on American Idol season 23, until she decided to sing at President Donald Trump’s inauguration ahead of the premiere. Fans who opposed President Trump’s views felt that Carrie’s performance meant that she fully supported him, and they vowed to boycott American Idol until she was no longer a judge. Although that’s completely understandable, I hope that people will change their minds because the American Idol post-Oscars sneak peek proves that Carrie is doing a phenomenal job.

Carrie Underwood’s Full Circle American Idol Moment Was Inspiring

Carrie Wore The Same Color Pink As She Did During Her Audition

During the American Idol season 23 post-Oscars sneak peek, Carrie had a full circle moment as she entered the audition room again, twenty years after her own audition that started it all. She wore the same color pink that she wore on that fateful day, making the moment very beautiful and nostalgic. In her confessional, Carrie shared that it was her first day on the other side of the table, and it was very hard to believe that it had been twenty years since her audition.

Carrie then admitted to Luke that she was nervous, and then said with a laugh that she didn’t know why because she wasn’t auditioning. I remember watching Carrie’s incredible audition of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt twenty years ago, and my sister and I looking at each other and declaring her the winner from that moment. Lionel then said to Carrie that it must be surreal for her to be a judge, and she agreed that it was. Carrie later said in her confessional, “It’s like coming home.”

It’s like coming home.

As I watched Carrie take her seat as an American Idol judge, I teared up because I’ve followed her career since 2005, and I even met her at a meet and greet at her Play On tour in 2010. I also felt emotional the first time she told a contestant, “You’re going to Hollywood!” It was so inspiring to see how far Carrie’s come, and how she’s still so connected to the show after two decades. It was truly a perfect moment.

2Carrie Fit Right In With Lionel Richie & Luke Bryan

The Three Judges Have Camaraderie

Katy, Luke, and Lionel had a special bond, so I wondered if it would be awkward for Carrie to have to try to fit into the duo of Lionel and Luke, who worked together for seven years before this. However, Carrie seamlessly became a part of the trio, seeming comfortable and calm with the men. Carrie and Luke have known each other for years, so their previous friendship might’ve made it easier for her. In addition, Carrie has known host Ryan Seacrest since she auditioned for American Idol twenty years ago.

I could tell from this first episode that Carrie, Luke, and Lionel already have a camaraderie that will make the show fun to watch. There’s nothing worse than when the judges don’t get along, as evidenced by the uncomfortable year when Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj were at each other’s throats for the whole season. On the contrary, it seemed as though Carrie was always one of the American Idol judges. Although I loved Katy, Carrie was the perfect person to take her place.

3The American Idol Contestants Were Excited To Meet & Perform For Carrie

Carrie Is An Idol To So Many

Many of the American Idol season 23 hopefuls expressed their excitement to have the opportunity to meet and perform for Carrie. One contestant declared that he was the most excited to meet Carrie before the producer even finished asking him the question. It’s no wonder that the American Idol contestants are so thrilled to meet her because she’s one of the most successful winners in the show’s history, and she’s achieved so much success.

Having Carrie as an American Idol judge is a constant reminder that the show can skyrocket people’s music careers to superstardom. People can audition for the show beginning at the age of 15, which means that some of the contestants will never have lived in a world when Carrie wasn’t a megastar. It’s inspiring to think that she’ll be there on every episode, cheering for the contestants and helping them on their journeys. Carrie always remembers where she came from.

4Carrie Was Attentive & Gave Specific Feedback

Carrie Allowed The Contestants To Shine

Carrie was very attentive during each American Idol season 23 audition and gave very specific feedback to the contestants. When Thunderstorm Artis, a 28-year-old musician from Haleiwa, Hawaii, sang his original song, “Don’t Let Me Let You Go,” she pulled out a specific line from the song, “I don’t want to lose you to find me,” to highlight, saying that it was a great line. Carrie also told him that his voice had a soulful and sweet thing, and had a growl at the top. She said that he took all of the genres and rolled them up into a ball, and threw that ball at them.

When 26-year-old musician Amanda Barise from Manhattan, New York, auditioned with “It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” by James Brown, Carrie and the other judges gave her a mid-song standing ovation. Carrie then joked that she didn’t even realize that she stood up. She told her that she laid in her pocket, and nothing was rushed. She said that every line she delivered took them on its own little journey. Carrie called the audition perfection.

Carrie’s specific feedback at the auditions, including pointing out lines of the songs that she liked, and how the contestants sang runs, will be very useful during the live performances. In addition, I can’t wait to see what kind of critiques she’ll give to contestants who need some guidance because I have a feeling that it’ll be very constructive and help them to reach their full potential.

5Carrie Showed A Cute & Silly Side Of Her Personality

Carrie Really Came Out Of Her Shell

During the first audition with Carrie as an American Idol judge, she really enjoyed a song from contestant Sonny Tennet, a 25-year-old singer/songwriter from South Shields, United Kingdom. As he sang Lionel’s Commodores song, “Easy,” Carrie leaned in to listen to him with a big smile, similar to the way that Katy would when she had a crush on a contestant. She also danced along to his song in her seat.

During her critique, Carrie told Sonny that she felt her heart a-flutter. She then got serious, and also told him that he looked joyous when he was playing the guitar and singing, and that they felt that, and it was the perfect song choice. When Luke said that he needed closed captions for Sonny because of his accent, Carrie joked that Sonny probably needed closed captions for Luke too. Because Carrie is usually more shy and reserved, I was surprised to see her act silly at the judges’ table.

Carrie had some other funny moments on the episode as well. When she told a contestant not to let her down, the hopeful joked, “Say what?! That’s what you’re gonna say before I sing!” Carrie responded, “I’m sorry! No pressure!” She also told another contestant, “You don’t need to be no doctor! Tell mama she was wrong!” Then she quickly added, “No, don’t say that.”

When another auditioner told Carrie that she was so scary, she jokingly said, “I’m scary?!” in an incredulous way. Luke then yelled out, “Scary Carrie!,” as she was shown pretending to scream during a hard rock audition. Carrie also clog-danced with a contestant, stating, “I have been around so much clogging!” Luke then quipped, “I can clog a toilet,” to which Carrie responded, “No!”

Later in the episode, the judges were scared when the show blasted James Brown’s “I Feel Good” over the loudspeakers. I laughed out loud as Carrie screamed and laughed. All of these cute and silly moments reminded me of Katy, and I was so happy to see Carrie showcasing so much of her own personality on American Idol.

6Carrie Allowed Herself To Get Emotional

Carrie Cried During Some Of The Auditions

During the American Idol season 23 sneak peek, Carrie was shown crying during some of the auditions. She cried as one contestant sang, the lyrics “For a second I swear you’re standing right here.” Carrie told him, “Every single person that hears that can fill in that memory with somebody that’s in themselves.” As Carrie held another contestant Breanna Nix’s son, she told her, “Never say I’m just a stay-at-home mom,” after she described herself that way. Carrie was completely in the moment and invested in these contestants’ lives.

It was wonderful to see Carrie connecting with the contestants on an emotional level, and letting her feelings flow. Whether she was laughing or crying, she was completely human, which is so important to make the contestants feel comfortable. Carrie is allowing her true self to shine during the American Idol auditions, and this will be a great asset during the live shows as well. I’m glad that she’s not robotic or fake, but instead is opening herself up and letting people get to know who she really is.

7Carrie Connected With The American Idol Contestants On A Personal Level

Carrie Really Listened To The Contestants’ Stories

During the American Idol season 23 sneak peek, Carrie connected with the contestants on a personal level, and really listened to their stories. She shared in her confessional, “Twenty years ago, Idol changed my life. And now I have the privilege of helping a new generation of artists change theirs.” During the first audition with Carrie as an American Idol judge, she made contestant Sonny Tennet from the United Kingdom feel right at home.

American Idol season 23 will welcome season 4 winner Carrie Underwood as a judge following Katy Perry’s exit from the show after seven seasons.

Carrie also connected with contestant Thunderstorm when he sang his original song, “Don’t Let Me Let You Go,” about his and his wife’s journey, and how she’s his anchor who holds him down in the times that he’s weak. Carrie told Thunderstorm that the song was relatable, and we’ve all been there. She then shared that she’s been married for 14 years, and she could really relate to the line, “Don’t let me let you go.” It was very special that Carrie related her own life to Thunderstorm’s song.

When Thunderstorm’s family entered the room when he received his golden ticket, she danced over to the children, singing, “Who are we?!” She then handed the golden ticket to one of the kids to give to him. Carrie really cares about the contestants and their families, especially their children, as evidenced by when she held Breanna’s son during her audition.

8Carrie Was The Perfect Replacement For Katy Perry

Carrie & Katy Are More Similar Than Previously Thought

When I first heard that Carrie was taking Katy’s seat on the American Idol judging panel, I was happy because I love Carrie, but I also thought that she was the polar opposite of Katy. While Katy was known for her outrageous and zany antics, Carrie is so much more reserved. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she was just as fun, funny, and down-to-Earth as Katy, and brought a lot of entertainment value to the show. Luke loves to be silly, and he and Carrie seem as though they could be a comedic team, just like he and Katy were.

Most importantly, Carrie is just as invested in the lives of the American Idol contestants as Katy was. She truly cares about them, their families, and their stories, so she’ll be very supportive throughout the season. Katy always made the contestants feel seen, heard, and safe, which is something that Carrie has also already been doing. In addition, Carrie isn’t afraid to open up and show her emotions, which is also reminiscent of Katy, who always let her feelings be known on the show.

While I understand that some people might feel that they have to boycott American Idol because of their beliefs, I think that they should give Carrie another chance. American Idol is about bringing people together, and Carrie has done that by accepting the contestants for who they are. This sneak peek has proven that Carrie is the perfect American Idol judge, and I can’t wait to see more of her as the season progresses.