Carrie Underwood is returning to American Idol after 20 years for the upcoming season, and she’s taking fans inside her winning run on the show in a new video posted to social media.
Underwood shot to fame after winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005, becoming the first country artist to win the crown. She was just 22 years old at the time.
She’s since become the best-selling artist ever to compete on the show, and in a new clip posted to X, the superstar shares an emotional entry from the journal she was keeping at the time she was competing.
From the tone of the entry, it sounds like she may have been questioning if the hard work and sacrifice of being away from home was too much for her at the time.
“I just have to keep in mind that it will all be worth it, and the life that I have started will be great,” Underwood reads.
“Most importantly, I have to remember that this has all been my choice, and it’s something I’ve wanted since I was a little girl.”
Underwood turns more resolute toward the end of the journal entry.
“I know I have some great things ahead of me,” she adds. “Right now, I’m just trying to live in the moment and appreciate it all. I never dreamed that all of this would happen to me.”
Underwood herself seems charmed by looking back on her own thoughts from that period.
“I love it!” she exclaims at the end of the video:
Underwood has built one of the biggest music careers of any star of her generation in the years since then, and she’s not slowing down. After delivering a flawless rendition of “America, the Beautiful” at President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, she is set to wrap her successful Las Vegas residency in the Spring of 2025.
The new season of American Idol premieres on March 9, and Underwood is returning to the show as a judge this time around. joining Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan on the judges’ panel.
Longtime host Ryan Seacrest also returns for the new season.
PICTURES: See Inside Carrie Underwood’s Beautiful Post-‘American Idol’ Home
Carrie Underwood invested her money wisely after winning American Idol in 2005. One of her first big purchases was a 3,099-square-foot home in the well-to-do Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tenn. Underwood paid $384,000 for a luxurious 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom stone and stucco home in a private gated community.
The house features a library, a vaulted ceiling and lovely amenities throughout, but while it’s very nice, it’s certainly not the kind of home you’d picture for a budding country superstar. Underwood wound up being a huge success right out of the gate with her debut album, Some Hearts, and she sold the home in Franklin for $372,500 in 2007, when she purchased the Brentwood mansion that she would later share with her husband, Mike Fisher.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
A Look Back at Carrie Underwood on ‘American Idol’
Carrie Underwood had a truly unforgettable run on American Idol, and though she’s moved on to become one of country music’s biggest superstars, she’s never forgotten her roots on the show.
Flip through the gallery below to see Underwood’s history on Idol, from her journey to being the Season 4 champion in 2005 to all the times she’s returned to the show.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
20 Things Carrie Underwood Has Done Since Winning ‘American Idol’
Carrie Underwood has been, well, busy since winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005. Since the confetti fell, the country singer has released nine albums and embarked on seven tours. She’s also tried her hand at acting and launched a handful of businesses.
Over the years she’s become one of the biggest success stories to come out of the show, winning countless awards and amassing a staggering net worth of over $100 million.
Keep scrolling to see 20 things Underwood has done since her time on the reality singing competition.
36 Photos of Carrie Underwood Young
Carrie Underwood is undeniably one of the most popular musicians on the planet, with a quick rise to stardom after winning American Idol in 2005. Eight Grammys and countless ACM and CMA Awards later, Underwood is still releasing music and touring. Let’s take a look at Carrie Underwood when she was young, before we met her and when we first got to know this star.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul
Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.
