On one of the wildest nights of American Idol Season 24 — the first live show, where results were delayed after tens of millions of votes — Carrie Underwood still found a way to become the entire story.
Songs of Faith Night was an Easter-season special built around inspirational performances, so the judges sang too. But this was not the usual all-judges moment. Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie opened with “Jesus Is Love” alongside the Top 20.
Carrie, meanwhile, got her own spotlight for “How Great Thou Art” with last season’s Platinum Ticket standouts Filo, Canaan James Hill, and Kolbi Jordan.
That choice turned out to be genius. Richie later said Carrie “came to kill,” and the reaction online was even louder, with viewers calling the performance chilling, tear-inducing, and the kind of moment that “takes you to church.”
On a chaotic live episode, Carrie delivered the one performance that cut through all the noise and felt bigger than the competition itself.
Carrie Underwood Performs “How Great Thou Art!” With Filo, Canaan and Kolbi – American Idol 2026
Before Carrie Underwood delivered the night’s biggest vocal moment, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie helped open Songs of Faith Night with “Jesus Is Love,” joined by the Top 20.
The choice felt especially meaningful because the song is a Lionel Richie-written Commodores classic, which gave the performance an extra layer of heart from the start.
On a live episode already packed with pressure, the opening number shifted the mood right away, turning the show into something bigger than a competition for a few minutes.
Fans in the comments praised the harmony, unity, and Easter-week timing, with many saying Faith Night has quickly become one of the most-loved parts of recent American Idolseasons.