Taking home the American Idol crown in 2005, Carrie Underwood became one of the premier female artists in country music. She has sold more than 85 million records and sent 16 songs to the top of Billboard’s U.S. Country Airplay chart. In a full-circle moment, the season 4 winner returned to the show last year as a judge. As she prepares for her season 24 return, Underwood opened up about what she’s learned from her time on the other side of the podium—and what she still needs to work on.
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During a recent sit-down with Cody Alan on SiriusXM’s The Highway Highway Mornings show, the “Jesus, Take the Wheel” singer admitted that her on-screen persona could use some fine-tuning.
“I’m not great at that, am I?” asked Underwood, 42.
With a combined 25 trophies from the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association, it’s somewhat surprising to learn that Underwood isn’t always comfortable in front of the camera.
“In general, I feel like I’m such a private person, and I get on stage and I love to sing—it’s one of my favorite things to do,” she said. “[But] I’m like, ‘Dear Lord, please don’t let me talk.’”
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Carrie Underwood Is Still Learning
Elsewhere in the interview, Carrie Underwood also addressed what some perceived as her “harsh” judging stye on American Idol.
“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.”
Clearly, Underwood places a high premium on constructive criticism. That’s likely because she knows that even after two decades in the spotlight, there is still so much more to learn.
“I feel like I’ve gotten better in 20 years. I’m slightly better than I used to be,” she said. “But I’ve just never been great at putting down the walls and just feeling like I could be myself.”
Along with judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, Underwood will return when American Idol premieres its 24th season next spring on ABC.
Featured image by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for SiriusXM
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