Carrie Underwood did not look like someone just “playing a part” when she slipped into Drinking Alone at the Grand Ole Opry this year.
For a few minutes, it was less about a show and more about a woman telling the truth in a crowded room.
She opened the night with that familiar poise, thanking veterans and lifting the whole place with warmth. Then the first verse of Drinking Alone landed.
Her voice dropped into a lower, quieter space. She held on to certain words a little too long.
What makes this season of Carrie so fascinating is how that same honesty keeps breaking through in tiny moments.
In the American Idol audition room, she laughs at herself, jumps up to clog with a contestant, and admits she does not really know the steps. She looks like the girl from Oklahoma again, not the untouchable superstar.
Carrie Underwood’s secret talent? CLOGGING!
To really feel how far Carrie has come, you almost have to meet the shy Oklahoma girl she used to be. That version of her still lives in the old American Idol audition tape, with the nervous smile and small voice that shook when she spoke.
In a recent sit down, Carrie watches that moment back, laughs at her outfit, and reads from the private journal pages she kept back then.
You can see her eyes fill as she remembers the fear, the hope, and the exact second she realised her whole life might change forever, with millions quietly watching.
Carrie Underwood Watches Her American Idol Audition, Shares Personal Stories: IDOL TO ICON
The judge who jokes, clogs, and tries to calm scared kids in the room.
It all comes together when she steps onto the American Idol 2025 finale stage for “I’m Gonna Love You” with Cody Johnson and finalist Slater Nalley. This is Carrie in full power, standing beside the next generation, not above them.
“I’m Gonna Love You” | Carrie Underwood, Slater Nalley, & Cody Johnson on American Idol 2025
