American Idolseason 23 winner Jamal Roberts responded to fan backlash against judge and season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, in which they accused her of not supporting him. During theAmerican Idolseason 23finale, Jamal won over runner-up John Foster, who’s a country singer, and Christian singer Breanna Nix, who placed third. After Carrie only gave Jamal criticism during the Top 5 episode, fans accused her of favoring country singer John over him. As the show prepares forAmerican Idolseason 24,there are signs that Carrie’s unhappy and might not be back.
American Idolseason 23 winner Jamal Roberts has responded to fan backlash against judge Carrie Underwood, in which they accused her of not supporting him.
In an X post shared byReporting For Duty,on the red carpetat the BET 45th Anniversary Dinner,Jamal was asked about fans' perception that Carrie didn’t support him throughoutAmerican Idol.Journalist Nate Vinson asked,“There is a very strong narrative online about one of the judges of the show, Miss Carrie Underwood. And people that watched the show felt like she really wasn’t supportive of you like other judges or other people were of you. Have you seen any of that backlash and what is your response to that?”
Jamal smiled as Nate asked him the question. He replied,“My response is Carrie is a country singer, and she likes country music. I mean, I don’t think she likes every genre for real. She had her picks, andshe had her [choice] of who she really liked, and she stuck with it. So we applaud her for sticking to her roots and sticking to who she liked, but I feel like the better person won.”
My response is Carrie is a country singer, and she likes country music. I mean, I don’t think she likes every genre for real. She had her picks, and she had her [choice] of who she really liked, and she stuck with it. So we applaud her for sticking to her roots and sticking to who she liked, but I feel like the better person won.
What Jamal Roberts’ Opinion About Carrie Underwood Means
Carrie’s Reaction To Jamal Is Confusing
While Jamal is correct about Carrie being a country singer who likes country music,longtime fans of the superstar know that she also loves rock and gospel genres. However, Carrie did seem to favor John, especially when she only critiqued Jamal after his performance of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” during the Top 5 episode ofAmerican Idol, telling him that she wanted to see him work the stage more during his performances. Many fans pointed out that John had to work on this too, but she didn’t tell him that.
However,Carrie did express support for Jamal after his win, posting a picture of herself and theAmerican Idolseason 23 winner on Instagram. In the caption, she congratulated him, adding that she was so proud of him and all that he’d accomplished during the season, and predicting that he’d do great things. She also named a baby lamb that was born on the day of theAmerican Idolfinale after the newest winner. However, Carrie’s confusing reactions to Jamal have divided fans of the show.
Our Take On Jamal Roberts Claiming Carrie Doesn’t Like Every Genre
Carrie Has To Work On Being A More Consistent Judge
As a longtime fan of Carrie, I know that she does like other genres besides country, but, duringAmerican Idolseason 23, I could also see thatCarrie’s inconsistent critiques made it seemas though she was favoring country singers like John. Carrie had said that she was worried about coming across as mean as a judge during the show, so I believe thatshe held back some of her true thoughts so that she didn’t hurt the contestants' feelings. Now Carrie’s lukewarm reactions to returning forAmerican Idolseason 24 seem to indicate that she won’t be back.
Perhaps when Carrie gave Jamal his critique during the Top 5 episode, it was because she knew that he was capable of more, and she wanted to encourage him so that he could rise to the top. I think that Jamal’s statements about Carrie prove thathe might’ve been hurt by her critiques because he didn’t feel supported by her.
Therefore,if Carrie does return as a judge forAmerican Idolseason 24, she should make sure that she doesn’t appear to favor any contestants over the others. It was Carrie’s first year as a judge, and she was still learning, so, hopefully, she’ll do better inAmerican Idolseason 24.
American Idol
Cast
American Idol is a reality singing competition that adds to the international “Idol” brand, conceived initially in the U.K. as Pop Idol. Holding massive auditions across the U.S., American Idol invited several contestants to perform in front of a panel of judges that would determine whether or not they’d go on to future rounds for a chance at competing in the fully televised premiere of the show. Contestants are voted off each week by American participation via voting through various mediums, and the winner of the competition would be given a contract with a record label to secure a future as America’s next musical idol.
