Prepare to be blown away by this Carrie Underwood throwback!
Seventeen years ago, you might have been among those who picked up the phone to vote for Carrie on American Idol. Now, nearly two decades later, the 39-year-old singer is reflecting on all she's achieved on the anniversary of her big win.
Carrie took to Instagram on May 25 to give her fans a special treat as a "thank you" for supporting her over the years, sharing a handwritten diary post from the night she was crowned the Idol winner.
"Where does the time go?" Carrie wrote in her caption. "Please enjoy a page from the journal of a 22-year-old farm girl who just had the most incredible night! I still feel the excitement through the pages!"
Carrie's diary entry recounted the special moment to a T, reading, "I took one more look at the amazing crowd and let it sink in for a few seconds."
"My heart beat fast & I closed my eyes," the country music star continued, before sharing that the "crowd went wild" as Ryan Seacrest announced her as the winner of the music competition.
"I immediately started crying," she recalled. "It was a beautiful moment."
Carrie added that she was equally emotional while performing her debut single, "Inside Your Heaven," right after her victory, sheepishly admitting she "blubbered through" it.
The "Before He Cheats" artist was a contestant on Idol's fourth season, which aired in 2005. At the time, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson served as judges, while Carrie went head-to-head with Bo Bice in the finale.
Since then, Carrie has continued to keep Idol close to her heart. During the show's 20th season this year, she appeared as a celebrity mentor for the top five contestants. She was also slated to perform on the season finale, but was unable to take the stage after a COVID-19 exposure within her team, Ryan announced on May 22.
In an interview with E! News' Daily Pop earlier this month, finalist Leah Marlene raved about Carrie's impact on her life. "She was my childhood hero of all heroes," she gushed. "I have so many videos of me singing Carrie Underwood growing up."