American Idol Season 23: 8 Reasons That No One Can Fill Katy Perryâs Shoes (Carrie Underwood Being A Winner Isnât Enough)
American Idol's Katy Perry can't be replaced.
Katy Perry shocked everyone when she decided not to return for American Idol season 23, and no one can fill her shoes, not even her replacement and American Idol season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood. When ABC revived American Idol in 2018 after FOX canceled the series in 2016, Katy was one of the panelists, alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. She stayed with the show for seven seasons, helping to discover music artists such as winners Maddie Poppe, Laine Hardy, Just Sam, Chayce Beckham, Noah Thompson, Iam Tongi, and Abi Carter.
For American Idol season 23, Carrie will take Katy's place at the judge's table. Although Carrie is one of the most successful American Idol winners and country music superstars of all-time, and, in an interview with People, Katy said that being an alum of the show makes Carrie uniquely qualified for the role, it might not be enough. Katy was a vibrant presence on the show, who will be greatly missed. Here's why Katy is truly irreplaceable.
1 Katy Perry Has A Very Open MindKaty Accepted All Of The Contestants Without Trying To Change Them
As an American Idol judge, Katy accepted all of the contestants for who they were, and she didn't try to change them. She has an open mind and a kind heart, and the contestants shared their stories with her because they knew that they could fully trust her. One of the best examples of this happened with American Idol season 17 contestant Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon.
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Jeremiah had revealed that his family didn't accept him because he's gay. However, Katy supported him unconditionally, and she poured her acceptance and love over him. They even performed Katy's song "Unconditionally" together during the finale, which was such a beautiful moment. Their sincere hug at the end of the song showed how much Katy had lifted him up throughout the season. Katy knew exactly how to make the contestants feel seen and heard, and that will be greatly missed.
2 Katy Is Completely HilariousKaty's Zany Antics Kept Everyone Laughing
Seated between Lionel and Luke, Katy was always the most outrageous of the three judges. Her zany antics kept everyone laughing on the show, and brought out Lionel and Luke's silly sides as well. They had a rapport that will be hard to recreate with a new judge. From Katy's Queso Song, during which she and Luke improvised a tune about queso, to her splitting her pants during the season 20 auditions as Luke used tape to cover the tear, to Katy and Luke's moo-off, during which they challenged each other not to laugh as they behaved like cows, Katy had everyone in stitches.
While Carrie has a fun side, she's much more reserved than Katy. It's hard to imagine her doing any of the funny things that Katy did on the show. Carrie will bring her own personality to American Idol, but Katy's comedy will be greatly missed. It was fun to laugh along with her as she entertained everyone, as she always seemed to be having so much fun. In addition, having a comedic element to the show made it even better.
3 Katy Brought Magic To American Idol Disney NightKaty's Disney Night Costumes Were A Highlight Of The Show
Disney Night has become one of American Idol's most beloved traditions, and Katy fully embraced it every year by dressing up as a classic Disney character. For her first costume, Katy chose princess Snow White, even speaking in her sweet, high-pitched voice throughout the show. However, then she turned things upside down the following year by dressing as The Little Mermaid villain Ursula the Sea Witch. The next year, Katy, who was pregnant with her daughter, Daisy Dove, dressed up as Mrs. Jumbo, with her dog, Nugget, playing the role of Dumbo.
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Katy's other Disney Night costumes included Tinker Bell (season 19), Elastigirl (season 21), and Cinderella (season 22), but her most outrageous was her season 20 Ariel costume, which had a seafoam green fin. Katy fell out of her chair in the costume, which has become one of the most iconic moments in recent American Idol history. While it's possible that Carrie might also dress up for Disney Night, it will always seem like a copy of what Katy did when she was on the show. No one will ever be able to recreate how Katy made American Idol the Happiest Place on Earth during Disney Night every year.
4 Katy Has Immense TalentKaty's American Idol Performances Were Phenomenal
Through the years, Katy performed many times on the American Idol stage. From her solo performances, to her finale night duets with the contestants, she showcased her phenomenal talent and blew away audiences. From her stripped-down performance of her song, "Part of Me" with season 16 contestant Catie Turner, after promising to perform with her, to her stunning performance of her song "Firework" with season 20 contestant Leah Marlene, Katy gave the spotlight to the newest music artists to come out of the show, which was wonderful to see.
While Carrie is also a fantastic music artist, she's very different from Katy, whose performances are more like a spectacle. Carrie comes from the world of country music, while Katy is a pop star. Katy's performances included elaborate costumes and sets, which might not suit Carrie's songs. Although both women are extraordinary artists, Katy's showmanship that comes with being a pop star will be missed.
5 Katy Gave The Perfect Balance Of Positive & Negative Feedback To The ContestantsKaty Was A Supportive Cheerleader & A Gentle Critic
Katy was the perfect American Idol judge. She had the ideal balance of being a supportive cheerleader when the contestants succeeded, and a gentle critic when they needed a push. She was stern when she needed to be, but never mean. All of her critiques came from a place of love, and she made sure that the contestants could feel that.
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Based on past American Idol judges, this is not an easy thing to do. Harsh judges such as Simon Cowell and Harry Connick Jr. were intimidating, while kinder and gentler judges such as Paula Abdul and Keith Urban sometimes came across as pushovers. Katy will be hard to replace because she knew exactly what to say to the contestants. She was kind without being sappy, and gave honest criticism without hurting people's feelings. Katy will be impossible to replace.
6 Katy Expressed Her Opinions FearlesslyKaty Wasn't Afraid To Show Her Emotions
One of the best things about Katy is that she's not afraid to express her opinions. She's fearless, and, because of that, she comes across as real. Katy doesn't care about her image, but, rather, what's right. One of the most moving examples of this was when she was brought to tears during Trey Louis' season 21 audition, when he revealed that he was a survivor of a 2018 school shooting. Katy sobbed and shouted that the country had failed, and it's not okay.
Katy added that Trey should be singing on American Idol because he loved music, not because he had to go through that. She told him that he didn't have to lose eight friends. Katy concluded by saying that she hoped that he reminded people that "we have to change." It was brave for Katy to speak out against gun violence on the show. To her, her opinion was more important than maintaining any type of image for any group of people. This show of real emotion was refreshing and inspiring to see, and solidified Katy's position as the best American Idol judge of all-time.
American Idol is the United States' version of a British TV series with the same concept. However, it's interesting to note that, in the United Kingdom, the show was called Pop Idol. This is because the original purpose of the show was to discover the next big pop star. However, in America, the country music genre is one of the most popular, so the show has also given rise to many country music superstars over the years.
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Although Carrie is one of the most talented artists in the world, she's not a pop star in the true sense of the word. However, Katy is one of the most successful pop stars of all-time, selling over 143 million records worldwide and 19 million in the United States. Teenage Dream is her best-selling album, with over 12 million copies sold. Katy has had nine number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including "I Kissed a Girl," "Firework," "Roar," "Dark Horse," "California Gurls," "E.T.," "Part of Me," "Teenage Dream," and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)."
Katy embodies everything about the pop genre, from its catchy songs to its concert spectacles. American Idol now has no judge on the panel who represents the pop genre. This is why Carrie being an American Idol winner might not be enough for her to take Katy's place: Katy is a pop star, so she knew what to look for in the contestants.
8 Katy Truly Loved The American Idol ContestantsKaty Was An Inspiration To Them
Throughout Katy's time on American Idol, it was obvious that she truly loved the contestants, and really cared about them. She was an inspiration to them as well, which was beautiful to see. While Carrie will probably connect with the contestants too, there was something about the way that Katy interacted with them which was truly special, and can't be recreated. Katy knew that the contestants were the heart of American Idol, and she treated them as such.
For her final American Idol performance, Katy took the stage with season 22 contestant Jack Blocker for a beautiful duet of her song "What Makes a Woman." As Katy rose up on a platform, her skirt was revealed to be decorated with the faces of every Top 24 contestant from the past seven seasons. Katy's tribute was so moving because, during her final show, she acknowledged that, although she was a tremendous part American Idol, the contestants were the true stars. That kind of support is rare, and it's difficult to imagine anyone taking Katy's place.
Although Carrie won American Idol season 4 in 2005, and that makes her uniquely qualified to be a judge, there's simply no replacing Katy. The show won't be the same without her. Carrie will definitely do an outstanding job, but it will certainly be a different show now. Katy is a legend, and no one can ever truly take her place on American Idol.
American Idol season 23 premieres on Sunday, March 9 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Source: People
Your RatingAmerican Idol
Release Date
2002 - 2015
Showrunner
Nigel Lythgoe
Franchise(s)
American Idol
Ryan Seacrest
Brian Dunkleman