As Carrie Underwood returns for her second season judging American Idol, producers are worried that half of America might not love her so much anymore, Rob Shuter reported in his Naughty But Nice But Nice Substack.
The country singer’s decision to sing “America the Beautiful” at President Donald Trump’s inauguration has led to backlash over her perceived politics, sources told Shuter for a post on Wednesday, January 28.
“The show needs mass appeal,” one source told Shuter. “Politics instantly split the audience, and that’s the opposite of what Idol is built on.”
Underwood, 42, has kept her views close to the vest. “I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins,” the American Idol season 4 champion told The Guardian in 2019. “It’s crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.”
But sources argued to Shuter that “silence doesn’t always read as neutrality” in the current political climate and “producers are increasingly worried” about continued speculation over where the mom of two stands.
“Once viewers stop talking about contestants and start arguing about judges,” a source noted, “the brand takes a hit.”
Another insider added, “The last thing producers want is a judge turning into a political lightning rod.”
Carrie Underwood Focuses On Her Career Off The Stage
It has been a few years since Underwood toured. In 2022, she released her latest studio album with Denim & Rhinestones. To help promote the album, she offered a tour. That tour consumed both 2022 and 2023. Since then, the singer focused on her career off the stage. She continues to cover the Sunday Night Football anthem for the NFL. She also traveled to Las Vegas for her Reflections residency. Her last show was in April 2025.
Although Underwood hasn’t toured in years, the hitmaker still produced a few performances to entertain her fans. But when it comes to a full tour, she appeared content with the trajectory of her career at this moment.
Excited for the new season of American Idol, Underwood, Bryan, and Richie already embraced the changes when the producers moved Hollywood Week to Nashville. With Nashville teaming with talent and creativity, it also served as the home to both Bryan and Underwood.
With season 24 just starting, don’t miss a new episode of American Idol, airing Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and available to stream the following day on Hulu.