"There's a Taylor Swift-esque quality" — American Idol's Carrie Underwood defends 18-year-old singer Zaylie Windsor during auditions

In the latest episode of American Idol season 23, which was released on March 30, 2025, Carrie Underwood claimed that she found the next Taylor Swift. 18-year-old Zaylie Windsor auditioned during the final audition round and performed her original track called The Used, which she wrote as a 14-year-old.

Lionel Richie praised Zaylie for writing the song at such a young age. Carrie praised Windsor's voice, noting she could move from soft to powerful. Zaylie explained that her song was inspired by a breakup.

“Not only the breakup part, but the process after and trying to figure out who you are without that person,” Zaylie said on American Idol.

Carrie and Lionel were impressed by Zaylie's songwriting, but Luke Bryan was unsure. He felt the lyrics seemed immature, but Carrie saw potential in Zaylie, comparing her to Taylor Swift. Despite Luke voting no, Carrie and Lionel voted yes, sending Zaylie to Hollywood.

“My thing is, there’s a Taylor Swift-esque quality that she has,” stated Carrie Underwood.

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What other events happened on the final audition round of American Idol season 23?

In the final audition round of American Idol season 23, judges awarded 21 contestants with a ticket to Hollywood, including a 17-year-old, who earned the final platinum ticket of the season. The 17-year-old was Canaan James Hill, who graduated early from high school and wants to fulfill his dream of becoming a singer.

Canaan, a content creator from Dallas, showcased his gospel background during his audition. He shared that he came from a gospel family, after which he performed Earnest Pugh's I Need Your Glory. He ultimately managed to impress the judges with his performance. Luke Bryan stated that his performance was unique. Carrie Underwood noted that Canaan's poise and confidence belied his 17 years.

"I had to sit back here to listen. That was something so spectacular I can't even describe what I heard," said American Idol judge Lionel Richie.

Canaan's audition earned him three yeses from the judges. An excited Lionel Richie also got up from his chair and awarded him a platinum ticket, allowing him to skip the first round in Hollywood. Another notable singer was Ethan Senger, who sang Somebody Like You by Keith Urban. His father and mother are both musicians.

Lionel Richie noted that Ethan had potential. Luke Bryan gave Ethan instructions to improve his performance, which Carrie Underwood disagreed with. Later, Ethan's mother joined him in the audition room, and they sang Falling Slowly together. Carrie, Luke, and Lionel voted yes, sending Ethan to the next round with three yeses.

ABC also previewed one of the notable auditions which belonged to 22-year-old Samantha Ray. She performed Lee Ann Womack's I Hope You Dance during her audition. After her performance, Samantha revealed that her younger sister, passed away the previous year due to a drug overdose.

Samantha's story moved the judges, who also praised her performance. Lionel Richie noted that she effectively conveyed emotions. Carrie Underwood saw her as a skilled storyteller. Luke Bryan found her voice enjoyable to listen to. All three judges voted yes, advancing Samantha to the next round.

Other American Idol performers who were given the golden ticket were Malik Bilbrew, Caroline Brett, Cal Buckley, Will Carter, Sarah Day, Kyana Fanene, Gabe James, JMarie, Landynn Kennedy, Kaleo Knight, Santina Madden, Olivier, Clara Rae, Nikki Rodriguez, Lexi Tieffel, Trenton Wright, and Yani.

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The two-hour American Idol episode aired on Sunday, March 30 at 8 pm ET on ABC.