American Idol judge Carrie Underwood briefly broke from her country music roots so she could rock out with a heavy metal performance—and fans loved the completely different side of her. On March 9, Season 23 of American Idol premiered on ABC.

American Idol showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick weighed in on Carrie Underwood’s performance on President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day in January, which drew attention and mixed reactions among some social media commenters.

Underwood's performance experienced technical difficulties, leading her to sing a cappella. She asked the attendees to join in. "You know the words," she said. Michaels Wolflick p