Carrie Underwood is firing back after she was booed by the American Idol audience during the Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover, which was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee.
Underwood Hits Back After Boos
The audience booed Underwood after they took issue with her brutal honesty. Underwood, who won season four of American Idol back in 2005, wasn’t having any of it, however.
“You guys are gonna boo me,” said Underwood, 42. “Bring it on! I love it! Your boos are feeding me.”
Underwood later doubled down on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Boo me. I don’t care,” she wrote alongside crying laughing, winking and zany face emojis.
Underwood Brutally Booed
At one point during Hollywood week, she was booed so severely that her co-judge Luke Bryan rushed to her defense.
“She only won this. She knows,” Bryan said. “You’re not included in the discussions.”
Much of the booing for Underwood came when she criticized contestant Mor for singing an original song and not utilizing the studio band.
Underwood argued that “for you to bring an original song with that incredible band sitting behind you, twiddling their thumbs – I feel like it was a missed opportunity.”
Underwood later stood by her comments on X.
“Singing original music is SUCH a gamble at this stage in the competition,” Underwood wrote. “Don’t. Waste. The. Band.”
She added that his “voice and previous audition” were what enabled Mor to advance to the next round.
“I wanna hear his original music after he’s a big star!” she explained.
Underwood Joins American Idol
This is Underwood’s second season judging American Idol. It was announced in 2024 that she would be replacing Katy Perry, who judged American Idol for seven seasons before exiting to focus on her own music career.
In September of 2025, Underwood opened up about the fan response to her American Idol judging while being interviewed on SiriusXM’s “The Highway.”
“Sometimes I get in trouble from people like, ‘How dare she say that it wasn’t perfect?’” she said. “And I’m like, I just want everybody to learn and that’s part of it. And nobody wants to just hear that they’re amazing all the time.”
“We just want everybody to be able to grow and get better,” Underwood continued. “And be the most awesome version of themselves that they could be.”
Last year, Underwood received criticism for performing at the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Afterwards, American Idol show-runner Megan Wolflick spoke out to defend Underwood for this.
“That was her decision,” Wolflick told The Wrap. “Katy Perry, who was a judge on our show, sang at the last inauguration as well, so isn’t that great that two American Idol judges sang at the last two inaugurations?”
During Trump’s inauguration, Underwood had to sing “America the Beautiful” a cappella due to a technical difficulty. Despite this mishap, Underwood remained unfazed and performed the song beautifully.
“She held her own, and she remained cool, calm and collected” during the technical mishap, Wolflick said. “I think a lot of that has to do with Idol and all of her live experience, starting at a young age, being on live television for Idol.”
It can’t be denied that Underwood is a true pro. If anyone can handle some boos, it’s her.
God bless you, Carrie Underwood!