As the top 14 contestants on season 23 of “American Idol” prepare for the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame episode, knowing viewers’ votes will send two of them home, judge Carrie Underwood remembers her own Top 12 episode with fondness and fear.

On April 24, 2025, as part of her “Idol to Icon” web series, the country superstar reviewed her performance from the same week of competition back in 2005, when she sang Heart’s “Alone.” She did so well that then-judge Simon Cowell made the now-infamous prediction that she’d not only win the competition, but “sell more records than any other previous Idol.”

Although his feedback was thrilling to hear, Underwood admitted she felt like she suddenly had “a target on my back.”

Carrie Underwood Thought ‘Now Everybody’s Gonna Hate Me’ After Simon Cowell’s Prediction

Underwood blew away the judges with her performance of “Alone,” with Randy Jackson telling her it was “one of your best performances yet” and Paula Abdul applauding her “taking risks.”

Cowell, who rarely doled out compliments, told Underwood, “You know, you’re not just the girl to beat. You’re the person to beat. I will make a prediction. Not only will you win this show, you will sell more records than any other previous Idol.”

Reflecting on that moment, Underwood paused the video and said, “What an incredible prediction — from me, you know, thinking ‘I’m gonna sing this song, oh my gosh, you know, they’re probably gonna hate it, but I’m gonna do it anyway,’ and then to get that reaction.”

She continued, “At the time, I thought, ‘This is amazing,’ and then about five seconds later, I thought, ‘I have a target on my back. Now everybody’s gonna hate me.’ Just because that’s a such a bold tip me, you told me I was going to win the show. I remember thinking people might not like me after that, and being really nervous.”

Of course, Underwood did go on to win the show and sell more records than any “Idol” in history. When a producer of the “Idol to Icon” web series asked how it feels knowing that, she replied diplomatically.

“I feel like there’s so many incredible artists that have come from this show, winners and non-winners,” she said. “I mean, this is a life changer for so many of us, and we’re still … going! And that’s, you know,
why we’re we’re here. Now, I would love to, at the end of this, have a winner that you know beats us all you know, in in sales and numbers. That would be absolutely incredible to be a part of that for somebody else.”

Carrie Underwood Says Her ‘Alone’ Performance Proves How Important Song Choice is for Contestants

DisneyCarrie Underwood on American Idol
Re-watching her performance of “Alone,” Underwood saw her 21-year-old self talk about how she decided to break out of her country music shell and do a rock song instead.

Reflecting on that brave decision, Underwood paused the video and said, “Song choice is so difficult when you are doing something like this, because just as much as people are listening to you sing it, they’re thinking about the original song. And I remember week to week, you know, we would get critiqued, and it would be like, ‘Oh, you know, you’re playing it so safe. You’re being
so safe with your choices.’ And it’s like, ‘Well, does that matter if I do a good job?’”

“And this week,” Underwood recalled, “I was like, ‘Okay, I’m just gonna throw caution to the wind. And I think I even remember, like, writing in my journal how much they were not gonna like me singing this song and being not so much worried. I was like, ‘They’re gonna hate it, (but) whatever. I really want to do it. So, okay, let’s go.’ Never know what’s gonna happen. Just gotta do the best you can.”