Carrie Underwood may have found the next Taylor Swift on American Idol season 23.
When 18-year-old Zaylie Windsor auditioned during the Sunday, March 30, episode of the singing competition, she performed an original song titled “The Used” that she wrote several years prior. She belted out the heartfelt lyrics while strumming an acoustic guitar, leaving the judges captivated.
“You wrote that at the ripe old age of 14?” Lionel Richie marveled before asking Underwood, 42, to share her thoughts.
“You showed us a lot in your voice,” the country singer began. “You can go from being small and focused to, like, soaring. I’m impressed at the song, as well. I feel like you’ve got a lot of artistry in there.”
Windsor — whose blonde bangs are reminiscent of Swift’s Red era — 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,” she said.
While Underwood and Richie, 75, were struck by Windsor’s writing, fellow judge Luke Bryan needed more convincing. “Gosh, I don’t think she’s quite ready,” he said, admitting that the lyrics felt “like a 14-year-old level of song to me.”
Bryan, 48, said no and joked that he wanted to see if Underwood would “fight” for Windsor to advance to the next round.
“My thing is, there’s a Taylor Swift-esque quality that she has,” Underwood told Bryan, who didn’t disagree. “She doesn’t have this giant vibrato, belty voice, but there’s something in there. If she did that at 14, she must have a lot of other things in her arsenal that she could bring to the table. … I feel like there’s something about her.”
Underwood voted yes, and Richie did the same, revealing that he was won over by Underwood’s passion. Windsor ultimately earned a ticket to Hollywood.
“Carrie is incredible, so it’s an honor to have her fight for me like that,” the teen told the cameras.
Windsor wasn’t the only contestant who drew a comparison to an already famous face during Sunday’s episode. Colorado native Gabe James, who wore a black tank top and dark jeans, reminded Underwood of Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing — but the reference didn’t land.
“I need to look up what he looks like,” James, 23, told the cameras after earning his golden ticket, joking, “That’s not going to do great on video.”
American Idol season 23 continues on ABC Monday, March 31, at 8 p.m. ET.
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