Carrie Underwood just wrapped up her inaugural season as a judge on American Idol, 20 years after she was crowned the Season 4 winner in 2005. For Underwood, being able to join Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as a judge was a full-circle moment, and a way to honor the show where her superstar career began.
“I owe my career to American Idol,” Underwood tells People. “It has been such an important part of my life, and I will always be grateful for that. Coming back as a judge 20 years later is such a special full-circle moment for me, and it’s meant a lot to share that journey with the people that have been there from the beginning, as well as a whole new generation of Idol fans.”
Underwood definitely took a few chances with her wardrobe choices on American Idol this year, as did the contestants. It’s a lot different than when Underwood was competing on American Idol, and choosing her own clothes to wear week after week.
“Back then, we were wearing our own clothes, and the few things we were able to buy with a very modest wardrobe budget,” Underwood says. “Even then, I always wanted to be comfortable, and I did get to play around a little with different looks and hairstyles in that first season.”
“I absolutely love fashion and getting to play dress-up for my job,” she adds.
While appearing as a judge on American Idol, the mother of two reflected on how one show changed everything for her.
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“It is really incredible to think, a few decisions that we make in life can completely alter our trajectory,” says the singer. “I make the joke now that I grew up on a farm, in a really small town. Go try out for American Idol, go all over the world. Go on tours, make albums, do all this stuff, just so I could buy a farm, and go back to the farm and live on a farm in a small little town That’s roots. We all have them. You can’t get away from them, and sometimes you have to go out and see all the other stuff before you realize, ‘Man, I had it pretty good, and I kind of want that back.’”
“I love my life so much now, and I feel like I get the best of both worlds,” she continues. “I get my days on the farm at home. I get my chickens and my sheep. There’s still a lot to do. It’s a lot of work. It’s very fulfilling, and that’s where I came from. I came in the world that way, and I’m gonna go out that way. I got to go do some really cool things in and around it and in-between.”
Underwood’s debut record, Some Hearts, was released on November 15, 2005. The album included hit singles like “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Before He Cheats,” “Wasted” and more. Underwood is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Some Hearts with the release of Some Hearts 20th Anniversary Edition on vinyl. Some Hearts 20th Anniversary Edition will be released on November 14, via Legacy Recordings
See a track list for Some Hearts 20th Anniversary Edition below, and pre-order the project here. Find all of Underwood’s music and upcoming shows at CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com.
Side A
Wasted
Don’t Forget to Remember Me
Some Hearts
Jesus, Take The Wheel
The Night Before (Life Goes On)
Side B
Lessons Learned
Before He Cheats
Starts With Goodbye
I Just Can’t Live a Lie
We’re Young and Beautiful
Side C
That’s Where It Is
Whenever You Remember
I Ain’t In Checotah Anymore
Inside Your Heaven
Side D
Wasted (Live at Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN – October 26, 2005)
Some Hearts (Live at Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN – October 26, 2005)
Jesus, Take The Wheel (Live at Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN – October 26, 2005)
Inside Your Heaven (Live at Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN – October 26, 2005)
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Disney / Eric McCandless