‘American Idol’s Carrie Underwood Shocks Fans With Selfie Showing Off New Hair

Carrie Underwood‘s new selfie has social media buzzing. The American Idol judge posted a photo in support of St. Jude, a children’s research hospital for childhood cancer, but a lot of commenters couldn’t get past the way she looked in the photo.

“Still very pretty but looks like a different person,” one person commented. Someone else wrote, “Unfortunately. She was beautiful before,” and another person added, “Right maybe it’s the hair color.”

Underwood was showing off her darker “bronde” locks in the shot. While she has had platinum blonde hair for the entirety of her career in the public eye, she recently reverted to her natural hair color in August.

“Well, the last time I saw my natural hair color, I was probably about 12 years old, but I thought it might be time to give it a second chance,” she shared in an Instagram post at the time. “Thanks, @hairbykatelin_ at @parlour3beauty for helping me get back to my roots! #NewOldMe #Bronde.”

However, her locks appear to be even darker in the new image.

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A post shared by Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood)

While Underwood has had her new ‘do for months, she’s been mostly posting throwbacks on social media, and has only made a handful of public appearances, so it’s possible many fans weren’t aware of the big hair transformation.

“Didn’t even look like Carrie,” another commenter on the new photo said. Someone else wrote, “Is this Carrie? Doesn’t look like her.” Another person even wondered, “Who is this a picture of?”

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Still, many fans also called out the people commenting on Underwood’s appearance, while others gushed over how beautiful she looked. A lot of followers also praised Underwood for supporting such a good cause.

“Love this. We know how life-changing support can be. Thank you for bringing hope to families who need it most,” one comment said. Another read, “Wow, some of these posts committing on appearance are sad and disgusting. Please post a picture of yourself so we can see the people who are putting other women down.”

Underwood will be back in the spotlight when American Idol returns for Season 24 in January. The auditions were filmed after she dyed her hair, and previews have confirmed that she’ll have darker-than-usual locks in the upcoming episodes.

American Idol, Season 24 Premiere, Monday, January 26, 2026, 8/7c, ABC