(Image credit: Fox)

American Idol Season 23 won’t be a part of the 2024 TV schedule, which means we’ve still got quite a while before we see Carrie Underwood make her big return as a judge. That also means there’s lots of time to pontificate on the kind of judge the Season 4 champion will be. Her fellow judge Lionel Richie said she’ll be “great” alongside him and Luke Bryan, and now the eight-time Grammy winner herself is speaking out about her judging philosophy. It sounds to me like the next round of hopefuls is in good hands.

Katy Perry exited the singing competition at the end of Season 22, and after much speculation about who her replacement might be, ABC tapped one of American Idol’s most famous contestants in Carrie Underwood. The “Before He Cheats” artist was quite thoughtful about the role she’ll play in these budding artists’ careers, and she said in an interview with SiriusXM:

I think I can be honest and constructive but still kind, and I think that’s the whole point. ’Cause people are coming in and, you know, it’s dreams. You’re a part of somebody’s story from that moment on. So, I think it’s important to be honest, but it’s also very important to be kind, so hopefully I can marry all of those together and be a good judge.

Carrie Underwood recognizes that being on American Idol and having a singing career is a dream for the contestants that take the stage, so while it’s important not to stomp all over those dreams (like the rude Simon Cowell of Idol’s early days), she also owes it to the singers to be honest about where and how far their talent can take them.

It’s really special that the Season 23 competitors will be singing to someone who has been in their shoes and knows the exact emotions they’ll be going through. Carrie Underwood will theoretically know what kind of advice to give to best help them navigate the show.The “Blown Away” singer’s history with American Idol is, in fact, why Carrie Underwood was chosen to replace Katy Perry. The recently exited judge said her replacement needed to be fearless and not mince their words. We’ll have to see if the former champ lives up to the authenticity Perry was hoping for.

Either way, she’s already got the support of two other ex-American Idol judges. OG judge Randy Jackson sent love to Carrie Underwood as the 20th anniversary of her own audition coincided with her new gig. He recalled that moment as one of his “favorite auditions.” Keith Urban, for his part, said she was “perfect” for the job, and her experience on the Idol stage is an “extraordinary” addition to the series.

No premiere date has been announced for American Idol Season 23, but typically the competition kicks off in February, so we likely still have a few months to wait. But Carrie Underwood’s philosophy on judging and her understanding of the power she wields in these singers’ careers makes me think she’s going to nail it.