American Idol season 23's newest judge, Carrie Underwood, spent her first season as an authority figure on the series facing backlash as she did her best to limit the outside noise and focus on the job at hand, but with the season ending, I think I know what's next for her future on the show. Carrie, who won American Idol season 4 in 2005, has been massively impactful on the current season of the long-running series. After Katy Perry spent year at the judges' panel with Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, she left a vacancy after American Idol season 22.