American Idol is continuing to search for the next winner on the 2025 TV schedule, with someone joining the long legacy of singers very soon. Some of the most famous American Idol contestants include Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, and Carrie Underwood, who has returned to the series this season to judge. While Underwood won Season 4 20 years ago and has gone on to win multiple Grammys, she nearly quit before her life changed forever.
Underwood auditioned for American Idol back in 2004, and she still has a memento from the audition to remember how far she’s come. But that was almost the only thing she took from her experience, rather than the win. The “Cry Pretty” singer looked back at her Idol journey in a new video, and even read from her journal from that period. And young Underwood was not very confident that she’d go all the way. At least, not at first:
I don’t know, sometimes I think it would just be easier if I go home, but I know I would regret it forever. I just have to remember that I know I’ve got this. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t good. I can so do this, and who cares if the judges don’t like it? I know I do lol.
It’s unknown when during her time on American Idol Underwood thought about going home, but it seems like even while writing in her journal, she was hyping herself up and talking herself out of it. It’s a good thing she did, too, or else things would have been very different. Of course, it’s not surprising that she would have those thoughts, since it can be very intimidating being on a show like American Idol, but she was right. The judges certainly thought she was good enough to be there, and pretty soon after, much of the country thought so, too.
After reading through the journal entry, Underwood reflected on that time and how she was able to talk herself into staying. But she never really got into the mindset of winning until she kept getting closer and closer. The singer revealed just how she was feeling every time she got through, and even at one point, she thought about how much easier it would be for her to ease into a job when she did eventually go home. As she explained:
I don’t think I let the ‘win’ scenario really enter my brain until, like, Top 3 or 4. For me, at the time, it was like, there were certain levels you wanted to get to, because different things can happen. So, of course, you want to make Top 24, and then it’s like, you want to make Top 12, and then you want to make Top 10. There were certain levels you really just wanted to get to. Once I was in Top 10, because I was a broadcast journalism major, I was like, ‘Okay, with every step, it’s going to be a little bit easier for me to get a job when I get sent home.’ I was very practical in my thinking. Top 10 was a little more of a relaxing stage to be in because it’s like, ‘No matter what happens, this is Top 10. We’re here. And nobody can take that away.
It’s hard to imagine just what exactly goes through the minds of contestants on shows like American Idol and The Voice, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Carrie Underwood’s journal entry perfectly matched most of them. It makes the fact that she wound up winning even better, especially now that she’s on the other side of it as a judge.
As for American Idol present, many cuts have been made, and there are still a few more episodes left until fans find out who wins this season. At this point, there’s no telling who could take home the win, but it should still be entertaining to watch the performances on Sundays and Mondays on ABC.
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