One of the reigning queens of country music is joining American Idol. According to Deadline, Carrie Underwood has been tapped to take over Katy Perry’s seat when the competition show returns for its 25th season. Underwood would judge alongside returning stars Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. She’s a fitting replacement, as Underwood got her start after winning the show’s fourth season 19 years ago. According to Perry, the pop star decided to leave the show to pursue other projects. “I love ‘Idol’ so much, it’s connected me with the heart of America,” Perry told Jimmy Kimmel in February. “But I feel like I need to go out to feel that pulse of my own beat.” Prior to this full time gig, Underwood has returned to the Idol stage to perform and mentor contestants. In a 2021 interview with Seventeen magazine, Underwood said auditioning for the show was “outside her comfort zone” and the “big leap” she took “worked out in the most incredible ways.”