Apparently, not even Carrie Underwood can look good while tearing up. The country singer posted a snapshot of herself on her Instagram Stories bawling her eyes out when she won American Idol more than a decade ago — and it’s hilarious.
On May 25, 2005, a then-22-year-old Underwood was crowned the winner of American Idol‘s fourth season, featuring judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. And, as evidenced by the “Before He Cheats” crooner’s throwback photo, she couldn’t contain her emotions during the big moment.
“14 years ago today … my world changed,” Underwood, now 36, captioned a pic of herself taken during the momentous occasion on the then-Fox series. “It’s true when I say that ‘you can’t cry pretty,'” she added, along with the crying, starry-eyed and crying-laughing emojis. (“Cry Pretty” is the name of the seven-time Grammy Award winner’s first single from her sixth studio album of the same name.)
Host Ryan Seacrest could be seen in the background of her shot with a small smile on his face.
Underwood returned to her roots on May 19, performing her latest single, “Southbound,” on the finale of the American Idol revival’s second season on ABC.
Laine Hardy, Alejandro Aranda and Madison VanDenburg all made it to the top three of the singing competition, featuring judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, but it was Hardy who was named the champion of season 2.
Prior to the reveal, Underwood spoke with Seacrest, 44, and shared her own experience on the reality show, recalling that she felt “horrified, scared, nervous, excited, all of the above.”
Since her days on the series, the “Love Wins” songstress has hit many more milestones in both her career and her personal life. Not only has she been racking up the awards, but she was also recently named the No. 1 most streamed female country artist of 2018.
Away from the spotlight, Underwood is the proud mom of two after welcoming sons Isaiah, 4, and Jacob, 4 months, with husband Mike Fisher. The pair tied the knot in July 2010.
