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Carrie Underwood got emotional in the trailer for Season 23 of American Idol.
Underwood — who came under fire for performing at President Donald Trump’s inauguration last week — is now making headlines for her new role on the iconic singing competition, which she won in 2005’s Season 4.
The “Before He Cheats” artist, 41, will be a judge on the upcoming season of Idol, flanked by longtime judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.
The trailer for Season 23 dropped on Monday, January 27, and packed in a handful of hopefuls, all three celebrity judges (and longtime host Ryan Seacrest) and plenty of emotional moments in the one-minute teaser.
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Underwood, for her part, got visibly choked up when talking to a contestant, presumably about his audition.
“Even though this was about your son,” Underwood said while tearing up, as the contestant wiped his own tears away. “Every person can fill in that memory.”
Another clip from the montage featured the eight-time Grammy winner crying, tissue in hand, as she is embraced by both Bryan and Richie.
Underwood has made frequent headlines as of late — first in mid-January when announcing her decision to perform at Trump’s inauguration, then at the actual inauguration itself on January 20. (Underwood belted out “America the Beautiful” a cappella after technical difficulties.)
Though social media fans and celebrity opinions appeared to be divided — both Ariana Grande and Mandy Moore “liked” a shady meme about Underwood’s vocals, while Jason Aldean praised her performance — it seemed as if the numbers speak for themselves: Underwood’s streaming numbers slightly dipped on the Monday of the inauguration (though she had a slight increase in digital downloads).
American Idol Season 23 premieres March 9, 2025 on ABC. One week before the premiere, fans can enjoy a 30-minute special — featuring Underwood as a judge and several rounds of auditions — which will air March 2 on ABC following the 2025 Oscars.
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