Carrie Underwood Reacts To ‘American Idol’ Contestant’s Audition

“American Idol” returned Sunday night with another round of auditions in Nashville and Los Angeles, but one performance left Carrie Underwood and the other judges completely stunned.

Sophie Powers, a 20-year-old singer and fashion designer from Toronto, took the stage in a pastel pink jacket and green pants emblazoned with hearts and her initials, SP. When she introduced her original song as “a tearjerker for sure,” no one expected what would come next.

Instead of an emotional ballad, Powers launched into “STFU,” a song that, as the acronym suggests, repeatedly tells various people and things to “Shut the F-ck Up,” leaving Carrie Underwood visibly shocked.

The track started with a seemingly innocent anecdote about a pet lizard named George that she found boring and gave to her mom because “animals are better than people.” But from there, things took a bizarre turn.

She then called out people trying to “cancel” her and even admitted she “doesn’t even like my job.”

As the tempo picked up, Powers rattled off a list of targets she wanted to silence, including Karens, vegans, and even babies.

Lionel Richie looked completely thrown off as Idol staffers burst into laughter off-camera. Luke Bryan couldn’t help but laugh as Powers escalated her rant, targeting laundry, war, and dinosaurs.

By the time she declared that traffic, people, and groceries should also “shut the f-ck up,” even Carrie Underwood was cracking up. Then, just as abruptly as it started, the song ended with Powers deadpanning, “That’s it.”

The judges were clearly at a loss for words as Powers turned to Lionel and asked, “How do you feel, Lionel?”

“I’m mortified,” he admitted.

Luke Bryan, still laughing, chimed in, “My wife would play me that song every evening. You should have put, ‘Luke, shut the f-ck up.’”

Carrie Underwood, who returned to “Idol” as a guest judge 20 years after winning the show, kept it real. “You’ve clearly got a thing going, you are interesting,” she said. “You know, obviously in the context of ‘American Idol,’ I don’t know how you would fit in here.”

Powers took it in stride, responding, “Yeah, neither do I. I’m literally Canadian, so…” as Lionel laughed.

Ultimately, all three judges gave her a no, sending her home, but not before her performance sparked a social media frenzy.

Many compared Powers to “American Idol”’s most infamous viral contestant, William Hung, who went down in “Idol” history for his off-key audition of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” in 2004.

“She’s the next William Hung. Definitely going to be talked about,” one X user wrote.

“Up next tonight on #AmericanIdol is #SophiePowers and I’m laughing so hard,” someone else expressed.

Others predicted the song would blow up online. “This ‘STFU’ audition song is probably going to trend on TikTok soon,” one individual said.

Even host Ryan Seacrest had something to say. Taking to social media, the 50-year-old wrote, “An original song with a powerful message?” adding a cry-laughing emoji.

Despite the rejection from “American Idol,” Powers may still find viral success, especially if TikTok has anything to say about it.

While Sophie Powers’ “STFU” performance may have stolen the spotlight for its shock factor, the latest episode of “American Idol” had plenty of other memorable moments, including a major opportunity for one standout contestant.

The final performer of the night, Filo, a singer originally from Egypt who is now living in California, impressed the judges enough to receive the coveted Platinum Ticket. This means he will skip the first round of Hollywood Week and advance straight to Week 2, giving him an extra advantage in the competition.

Filo joins an elite group of Platinum Ticket recipients, a status reserved for contestants the judges believe have serious star potential.

Not every hopeful got a golden ticket, though. 14-year-old Kase Tippens was turned away, with the judges agreeing that he wasn’t quite ready for the competition yet.

However, Carrie took a moment to share some inspiring words with the young contestant.

“When I was 15 years old, I had an artist development thing with a big record label, and it didn’t work out. And it was the best thing for me,” she assured Kase. “If that had happened, then it would have not gone anywhere, and that would be the end of my story. It’s not a no, it’s a no for today. But you are incredible.”

The audition rounds continue as “American Idol” returns with a new episode on Sunday, March 23 at 8 PM ET on ABC. With more Platinum Tickets up for grabs and fresh talent still to be discovered, the competition is just getting started.