Carrie Underwood couldn’t help but laugh when she realized an American Idol hopefuls unexpected song choice.
YANI, a 26-year-old singer from Tabernacle, New Jersey, opted to sing “a song that perhaps is familiar,” she said when she auditioned for Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. The judges and off-camera production crew laughed when YANI kicked off her reimagined rendition of “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night.”
Underwood, a first-time judge and the 2005 Idol champion, premiered her 12th consecutive Sunday Night Football show open in September 2024. She reportedly makes a staggering $1 million every week when the theme song plays on Sunday nights, adding up to $18 million throughout the 18-week season (she’s reportedly making millions in her American Idol return 20 years after winning the show’s fourth season).
The judges applauded YANI’s surprising audition. Underwood said the American Idol hopeful was “clever” for her “very different” song choice that the trio hadn't heard before. Bryan kicked off the voting with a “no.” Underwood admitted, “I don’t know if you’re right for this show, but I can’t say ‘no’ to your voice.” Richie sided with Underwood, and the judges unanimously told YANI, “you’re going to Hollywood.” Watch that moment here: