Several weeks ago, Carrie Underwood shared on social media that she got "booed A LOT" from American Idol's Hollywood Week audience.
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We had speculated on the reasons why. Judging from the reaction to the tweet on social media, many people are still upset that the former contestant and now-judge of the reality singing competition performed "America the Beautiful" at President Donald Trump's inauguration last year.
But now we have a little more insight into why the audience was so vocal. The details are below.
Carrie Underwood Had A Strong Criticism of An "American Idol" Contestant
Considering that American Idol's Hollywood Week didn't take place in California, the crowd should have been a little more excited. It was filmed in Nashville, which is Underwood and co-judge Luke Bryan's home turf. The episode was then broadcast yesterday, March 2.
But things didn't feel welcoming for the "Jesus Take the Wheel" singer. The reaction seems to have stemmed from Underwood's advice to contestant Mor. He took a risk by performing "How to Love You," an original song, rather than singing a cover with the band behind him.
Even before she shared her thoughts, Underwood knew what was coming.
"You guys are gonna boo me. You're gonna boo me," she told the audience. "It's coming. Bring it on. I love it! Your boos are feeding me."
Then Underwood didn't hold back.
"In a room like this, 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," she said.
Luke Bryan to the Rescue
Later in the episode, Bryan spoke out in defense of Underwood.
"She only won this," he reminded the crowd. "She knows."
Despite his efforts, the audience didn't seem to care. Underwood then went back to defending herself, telling the crowd they were "not included in the discussions."
Afterward, the singer went on social media to defend her take.
"Singing original music is SUCH a gamble at this stage in the competition. Don't. Waste. The. Band," she wrote. "Mor's voice and previous audition kept him in. I wanna hear his original music after he's a big star!"
Well, it appears that the audience has crowned a villain for this season of American Idol. It is Carrie Underwood, and she is definitely leaning into the role.
