Carrie Underwood Takes Fans on a Nostalgic Journey with Unrecognizable Throwback Photo from Her American Idol Audition

 The 41-year-old season four winner posted the picture on Instagram, captioning it, “REFLECTION of the week: contestant number #14887 received her golden ticket to Hollywood!”

“I can’t believe it has been almost 20 years since auditioning for @AmericanIdol! #ReflectionOfTheWeek,” Carrie added, expressing her disbelief at how quickly time has flown since that life-changing moment.

The official American Idol Instagram page joined in the celebration, commenting, “We love you so much!”

Carrie’s poignant share arrived just one day following the crowning of American Idol’s season 22 champion, Abi Carter.

Her ascent to fame traces back to 2005, where she mesmerized the original panel of judges—Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell—with her rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me.

Despite referring to Simon as “scary” during her audition, Carrie’s powerful performance earned her the golden ticket to Hollywood.

She eventually won the season, triumphing over finalist Bo Bice. Carrie returned to the American Idol stage in 2022 as a mentor for the season 20 semifinals, guiding a new generation of hopefuls.

Now, Carrie is preparing for her highly anticipated return to Las Vegas with her extended Reflection residency at the Resorts World Theatre.

The show, which originally launched in late 2021, has added new dates for 2023 and 2024, with performances scheduled from May 22 to June 1, August 14-24, and October 16-26.

The Jesus Take The Wheel singer was inducted into the Opry in 2008, three years after winning season four of American Idol, and has since become a staple at the beloved country music stage. She made her performance debut just two weeks after winning the singing competition.

“It’s kind of magical,” she told the Opry after her debut show, a two-song set which received enthusiastic reviews. “I don’t feel like I deserve this at all.”